Aggregation platform permissions

ABSTRACT

Apparatuses, systems, methods, and computer program products are presented for aggregation platform permissions. A hardware computing device is configured to aggregate a user&#39;s data from a first plurality of third-party service providers over a data network for the user to access through a second plurality of third-party service providers. A permissions module is configured to monitor which of a second plurality of third-party service providers have access to which portions of data from which of a first plurality of third-party service providers. A graphical user interface is configured to display one or more user interface elements allowing a user to grant and/or revoke access to portions of data from a first plurality of third-party service providers individually to a second plurality of third-party service providers and indications of whether the second plurality of third-party service providers have valid electronic credentials for the first plurality of third-party service providers.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO OTHER APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/159,417, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,911,439, entitled “AGGREGATION PLATFORMPERMISSIONS” and filed on Oct. 12, 2018, for John Ryan Caldwell, whichclaims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/571,784entitled “AGGREGATION PLATFORM PORTAL” and filed on Oct. 12, 2017, forJohn Ryan Caldwell, and of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.62/571,788 entitled “AGGREGATION PLATFORM PERMISSIONS” and filed on Oct.12, 2017, for John Ryan Caldwell, each of which is incorporated hereinby reference.

FIELD

This invention relates to aggregation of a user's data and moreparticularly relates to permissions for an aggregation platform.

BACKGROUND

As users authorize multiple entities to access their online data,managing these authorizations becomes increasingly complex. A user maynot know where or how to determine which entities are aggregating theirdata, how to change or revoke authorizations, or the like. Further,multiple entities accessing the same data for a user from a third-partymay be inefficient or may lead the third party to block the user or oneor more of the entities.

SUMMARY

Apparatuses are presented for aggregation platform permissions. In oneembodiment, a hardware computing device is configured to aggregate auser's data from a first plurality of third-party service providers overa data network for the user to access through a second plurality ofthird-party service providers. A permissions module, in certainembodiments, is configured to monitor which of a second plurality ofthird-party service providers have access to which portions of data fromwhich of a first plurality of third-party service providers. A graphicaluser interface, in some embodiments, is configured to display one ormore user interface elements allowing a user to grant and/or revokeaccess to portions of data from a first plurality of third-party serviceproviders individually to a second plurality of third-party serviceproviders and indications of whether the second plurality of third-partyservice providers have valid electronic credentials for the firstplurality of third-party service providers.

Methods are presented for aggregation platform permissions. A method, inone embodiment, includes aggregating a user's data to a hardwarecomputing device from a first plurality of third-party service providersover a data network for the user to access through a second plurality ofthird-party service providers. A method, in a further embodiment,includes monitoring which of a second plurality of third-party serviceproviders have access to which portions of data from which of a firstplurality of third-party service providers. In some embodiments, amethod includes displaying in a graphical user interface one or moreuser interface elements allowing a user to grant and/or revoke access toportions of data from a first plurality of third-party service providersindividually to a second plurality of third-party service providers andindications of whether the second plurality of third-party serviceproviders have valid electronic credentials for the first plurality ofthird-party service providers.

Additional apparatuses are presented for aggregation platformpermissions. An apparatus, in one embodiment, includes means foraggregating a user's data to a hardware computing device from a firstplurality of third-party service providers over a data network for theuser to access through a second plurality of third-party serviceproviders. In certain embodiments, an apparatus includes means formonitoring which of a second plurality of third-party service providershave access to which portions of data from which of a first plurality ofthird-party service providers. An apparatus, in a further embodiment,includes means for displaying in a graphical user interface one or moreuser interface elements allowing a user to grant and/or revoke access toportions of data from a first plurality of third-party service providersindividually to a second plurality of third-party service providers andindications of whether the second plurality of third-party serviceproviders have valid electronic credentials for the first plurality ofthird-party service providers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the advantages of the invention will be readilyunderstood, a more particular description of the invention brieflydescribed above will be rendered by reference to specific embodimentsthat are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that thesedrawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are nottherefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the inventionwill be described and explained with additional specificity and detailthrough the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating one embodiment of asystem for aggregation platform permissions;

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of one embodiment of an aggregationmodule;

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of anaggregation module;

FIG. 4A is a schematic block diagram illustrating an additionalembodiment of a system for aggregation platform permissions;

FIG. 4B is a schematic block diagram illustrating a further embodimentof a system for aggregation platform permissions;

FIG. 4C is a schematic block diagram illustrating a certain embodimentof a system for aggregation platform permissions;

FIG. 5A is a schematic block diagram illustrating one embodiment of auser interface;

FIG. 5B is a schematic block diagram illustrating another embodiment ofa user interface;

FIG. 6 is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating one embodiment ofa method for aggregation platform permissions;

FIG. 7 is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating a furtherembodiment of a method for aggregation platform permissions;

FIG. 8 is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating another embodimentof a method for aggregation platform permissions;

FIG. 9 is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating a certainembodiment of a method for aggregation platform permissions; and

FIG. 10 is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating one embodiment ofa method for aggregation platform permissions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “anembodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature,structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodimentis included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases“in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughoutthis specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the sameembodiment, but mean “one or more but not all embodiments” unlessexpressly specified otherwise. The terms “including,” “comprising,”“having,” and variations thereof mean “including but not limited to”unless expressly specified otherwise. An enumerated listing of itemsdoes not imply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusiveand/or mutually inclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise. Theterms “a,” “an,” and “the” also refer to “one or more” unless expresslyspecified otherwise.

Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics ofthe embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner. One skilled inthe relevant art will recognize that the embodiments may be practicedwithout one or more of the specific features or advantages of aparticular embodiment. In other instances, additional features andadvantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not bepresent in all embodiments.

These features and advantages of the embodiments will become more fullyapparent from the following description and appended claims, or may belearned by the practice of embodiments as set forth hereinafter. As willbe appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the presentinvention may be embodied as a system, method, and/or computer programproduct. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the formof an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment(including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or anembodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may allgenerally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module,” or “system.”Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of acomputer program product embodied in one or more computer readablemedium(s) having program code embodied thereon.

Many of the functional units described in this specification have beenlabeled as modules, in order to more particularly emphasize theirimplementation independence. For example, a module may be implemented asa hardware circuit comprising custom VLSI circuits or gate arrays,off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or otherdiscrete components. A module may also be implemented in programmablehardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmablearray logic, programmable logic devices or the like.

Modules may also be implemented in software for execution by varioustypes of processors. An identified module of program code may, forinstance, comprise one or more physical or logical blocks of computerinstructions which may, for instance, be organized as an object,procedure, or function. Nevertheless, the executables of an identifiedmodule need not be physically located together, but may comprisedisparate instructions stored in different locations which, when joinedlogically together, comprise the module and achieve the stated purposefor the module.

Indeed, a module of program code may be a single instruction, or manyinstructions, and may even be distributed over several different codesegments, among different programs, and across several memory devices.Similarly, operational data may be identified and illustrated hereinwithin modules, and may be embodied in any suitable form and organizedwithin any suitable type of data structure. The operational data may becollected as a single data set, or may be distributed over differentlocations including over different storage devices, and may exist, atleast partially, merely as electronic signals on a system or network.Where a module or portions of a module are implemented in software, theprogram code may be stored and/or propagated on in one or more computerreadable medium(s).

The computer program product may include a computer readable storagemedium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereonfor causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (“RAM”), aread-only memory (“ROM”), an erasable programmable read-only memory(“EPROM” or Flash memory), a static random access memory (“SRAM”), aportable compact disc read-only memory (“CD-ROM”), a digital versatiledisk (“DVD”), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encodeddevice such as punch-cards or raised structures in a groove havinginstructions recorded thereon, and any suitable combination of theforegoing. A computer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not tobe construed as being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves orother freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic wavespropagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., lightpulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signalstransmitted through a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, andconventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The computerreadable program instructions may execute entirely on the user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computeror entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer(for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example,programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), orprogrammable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readableprogram instructions by utilizing state information of the computerreadable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry,in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

Many of the functional units described in this specification have beenlabeled as modules, in order to more particularly emphasize theirimplementation independence. For example, a module may be implemented asa hardware circuit comprising custom VLSI circuits or gate arrays,off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or otherdiscrete components. A module may also be implemented in programmablehardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmablearray logic, programmable logic devices or the like.

The schematic flowchart diagrams and/or schematic block diagrams in theFigures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation ofpossible implementations of apparatuses, systems, methods and computerprogram products according to various embodiments of the presentinvention. In this regard, each block in the schematic flowchartdiagrams and/or schematic block diagrams may represent a module,segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executableinstructions of the program code for implementing the specified logicalfunction(s).

It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, thefunctions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in theFigures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, beexecuted substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes beexecuted in the reverse order, depending upon the functionalityinvolved. Other steps and methods may be conceived that are equivalentin function, logic, or effect to one or more blocks, or portionsthereof, of the illustrated Figures.

Although various arrow types and line types may be employed in theflowchart and/or block diagrams, they are understood not to limit thescope of the corresponding embodiments. Indeed, some arrows or otherconnectors may be used to indicate only the logical flow of the depictedembodiment. For instance, an arrow may indicate a waiting or monitoringperiod of unspecified duration between enumerated steps of the depictedembodiment. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagramsand/or flowchart diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the blockdiagrams and/or flowchart diagrams, can be implemented by specialpurpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions oracts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and program code.

FIG. 1 depicts one embodiment of a system 100 for aggregation platformpermissions. In one embodiment, the system 100 includes one or morehardware devices 102, one or more aggregation modules 104 (e.g., abackend aggregation module 104 b and/or a plurality of aggregationmodules 104 a disposed on the one or more hardware devices 102), one ormore data networks 106 or other communication channels, one or morethird-party service providers 108 (e.g., one or more servers 108 of oneor more service providers 108; one or more cloud or network serviceproviders, or the like), and/or one or more backend servers 110. Incertain embodiments, even though a specific number of hardware devices102, aggregation modules 104, data networks 106, third-party serviceproviders 108, and/or backend servers 110 are depicted in FIG. 1 , oneof skill in the art will recognize, in light of this disclosure, thatany number of hardware devices 102, aggregation modules 104, datanetworks 106, third-party service providers 108, and/or backend servers110 may be included in the system 100 for distributed data aggregation.

In one embodiment, the system 100 includes one or more hardware devices102. The hardware devices 102 (e.g., computing devices, informationhandling devices, or the like) may include one or more of a desktopcomputer, a laptop computer, a mobile device, a tablet computer, a smartphone, a set-top box, a gaming console, a smart TV, a smart watch, afitness band, an optical head-mounted display (e.g., a virtual realityheadset, smart glasses, or the like), an HDMI or other electronicdisplay dongle, a personal digital assistant, and/or another computingdevice comprising a processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), aprocessor core, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or otherprogrammable logic, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), acontroller, a microcontroller, and/or another semiconductor integratedcircuit device), a volatile memory, and/or a non-volatile storagemedium. In certain embodiments, the hardware devices 102 are incommunication with one or more servers 108 of one or more third-partyservice providers 108 and/or one or more backend servers 110 via a datanetwork 106, described below. The hardware devices 102, in a furtherembodiment, are capable of executing various programs, program code,applications, instructions, functions, or the like.

In one embodiment, an aggregation module 104 is configured to determineand/or receive a user's electronic credentials (e.g., username andpassword, fingerprint scan, retinal scan, digital certificate, personalidentification number (PIN), challenge response, security token,hardware token, software token, DNA sequence, signature, facialrecognition, voice pattern recognition, bio-electric signals, two-factorauthentication credentials, or the like) for one or more third-partyservice providers 108. The aggregation module 104, in certainembodiments, accesses a server 108 of a third-party service provider 108using a user's electronic credentials to download data associated withthe user from the server 108, such as a user's photos, a user's socialmedia posts, a user's medical records, a user's financial transactionrecords or other financial data, and/or other data associated withand/or owned by a user but stored by a server 108 of a third-partyservice provider 108 (e.g., stored by hardware not owned, maintained,and/or controlled by the user). The aggregation module 104, in variousembodiments, may provide the downloaded data to the user locally (e.g.,displaying the data on an electronic display of a hardware device 102);may provide the downloaded data from the hardware device 102 of the userto and/or package the data for a remote server 110 (e.g., a backendaggregation module 104 b) or other remote device (e.g., another hardwaredevice 102 of the user, a hardware device 102 of a different user, orthe like) which may be unaffiliated with the third-party serviceprovider 108; may provide one or more alerts, messages, advertisements,or other communications to the user (e.g., on a hardware device 102)based on the downloaded data; or the like.

In certain embodiments, the system 100 includes a plurality ofaggregation modules 104 disposed/located on hardware devices 102 of aplurality of different users (e.g., comprising hardware of and/orexecutable code running on one or more hardware devices 102). Theplurality of aggregation modules 104 may act as a distributed and/ordecentralized system 100, executing across multiple hardware devices102, which are geographically dispersed and using different IPaddresses, each downloading and/or aggregating data (e.g., photos,social media posts, medical records, financial transaction records,other financial data, and/or other user data) separately, in adistributed and/or decentralized manner. While a third-party serviceprovider 108 (e.g., a financial institution, bank, credit union, and/orother online banking provider; a social media site; a medical provider;a photo hosting site; or the like) may block a data aggregation serviceor other entity from accessing data for a plurality of users from asingle location (e.g., a single IP address, a single block of IPaddresses, or the like), a distributed and/or decentralized swarm ofmany aggregation modules 104, in certain embodiments, may be much moredifficult for a third-party service provider 108 to block.

In one embodiment, a hardware device 102 may include and/or execute aninternet browser, which a user may use to access a server 108 of athird-party service provider 108 (e.g., by loading a webpage of thethird-party service provider 108 in the internet browser). At least aportion of an aggregation module 104, in certain embodiments, maycomprise a plugin to and/or an extension of an internet browser of auser's personal hardware device 102, so that a third-party serviceprovider 108 may not block the aggregation module 104 from accessing theserver 108 of the third-party service provider 108 without also blockingthe user's own access to the server 108 using the internet browser. Forexample, the aggregation module 104 may use the same cookies, IPaddress, saved credentials, or the like as a user would when accessing aserver 108 of a third-party service provider 108 through the internetbrowser. In certain embodiments, the aggregation module 104 may supportintegration with multiple different types of internet browsers (e.g., ondifferent hardware devices 102).

An aggregation module 104, in certain embodiments, may mimic or copy auser's behavioral pattern in accessing a server 108 of a third-partyservice provider 108, to reduce a likelihood that the third-partyservice provider 108 may distinguish access to the server 108 by anaggregation module 104 from access to the server 108 by a user. Forexample, an aggregation module 104 may visit one or more locations(e.g., webpages) of a server 108 of a third-party service provider 108,even if the aggregation module 104 does not intend to download data fromeach of the one or more locations, may wait for a certain delay timebetween accessing different locations, may use a certain scroll pattern,or the like, to mask the aggregation module 104's downloading and/oraggregating of a user's data, to reduce the chances of being detectedand/or blocked by the third-party service provider 108.

In one embodiment, at least a portion of an aggregation module 104 maybe integrated with or otherwise part of another application executing ona hardware device 102, such as a personal financial managementapplication (e.g., computer executable code for displaying a user'sfinancial transactions from multiple financial institutions, determiningand/or displaying a user's financial budgets and/or financial goals,determining and/or displaying a user's account balances, determiningand/or displaying a user's net worth, or the like), a photo viewer, amedical application, an insurance application, an accountingapplication, a social media application, or the like, which may use datathe aggregation module 104 downloads from a server 108 of a third-partyservice provider 108.

In one embodiment, the aggregation modules 104 a comprise a distributedsystem 100, with the aggregation modules 104 a and/or the associatedhardware devices 102 downloading and/or aggregating data substantiallyindependently (e.g., downloading data concurrently or non-concurrently,without a global clock, with independent success and/or failure ofcomponents). Distributed aggregation modules 104 a may pass messages toeach other and/or to a backend aggregation module 104 b, to coordinatetheir distributed aggregation of data for users. In one embodiment, theaggregation modules 104 a are decentralized (e.g., hardware devices 102associated with users perform one or more aggregation functions such asdownloading data), rather than relying exclusively on a centralizedserver or other device to perform one or more aggregation functions.

In a distributed and/or decentralized system 100, a central entity, suchas a backend aggregation module 104 b and/or a backend server 110, incertain embodiments, may still provide, to one or more aggregationmodules 104 a, one or more messages comprising instructions foraccessing a server 108 of a third-party service provider 108 using auser's credentials, or the like. For example, a backend aggregationmodule 104 b may provide one or more aggregation modules 104 a of one ormore hardware devices 102 with one or more sets of instructions foraccessing a server 108 of a third-party service 108, such as a locationfor entering a user's electronic credentials (e.g., a text box, a field,a label, a coordinate, or the like), an instruction for submitting auser's electronic credentials (e.g., a button to press, a link to click,or the like), one or more locations of data associated with a user(e.g., a row in a table or chart, a column in a table or chart, auniform resource locator (URL) or other address, a coordinate, a label,or the like), and/or other instructions or information, using which theaggregation modules 104 a may access and download a user's data.

In a further embodiment, one or more aggregation modules 104 a may passmessages to each other, such as instructions for accessing a server 108of a third-party service provider 108 using a user's credentials, or thelike, in a peer-to-peer manner. In another embodiment, a central entity,such as a backend aggregation module 104 b, may initially seed one ormore sets of instructions for accessing a server 108 of a third-partyservice provider 108 using a user's credentials to one or moreaggregation modules 104 a, and the one or more aggregation modules 104 amay send the one or more sets of instructions to other aggregationmodules 104 a.

Instructions for accessing a user's data, however, in certainembodiments, may change over time, may vary for different users of athird-party service provider 108, or the like (e.g., due to upgrades,different service levels or servers 108 for different users,acquisitions and/or consolidation of different third-party serviceproviders 108, or the like), causing certain instructions to fail overtime and/or for certain users, preventing an aggregation module 104 fromaccessing and downloading a user's data. A backend aggregation module104 b, in one embodiment, may provide one or more aggregation modules104 a with a hierarchical list of multiple sets of instructions, knownto have enabled access to a user's data from a server 108 of athird-party service provider 108. An aggregation module 104 a on ahardware device 102 may try different sets of instructions inhierarchical order, until the aggregation module 104 a is able to accessa user's data.

An aggregation module 104, in certain embodiments, may provide aninterface to a user allowing the user to repair or fix failedinstructions for accessing the user's data, by graphically identify aninput location for the user's electronic credentials, an instruction forsubmitting a user's electronic credentials, a location of dataassociated with the user, or the like. An aggregation module 104, in oneembodiment, may highlight or otherwise suggest (e.g., bold, color,depict a visual comment or label, or the like) an estimate which theaggregation module 104 has determined of an input location for theuser's electronic credentials, an instruction for submitting a user'selectronic credentials, a location of data associated with the user, orthe like. For example, an aggregation module 104 may process a web pageof a server 108 of a third-party service provider 108 (e.g., parseand/or search a hypertext markup language (HTML) file) to estimate aninput location for the user's electronic credentials, an instruction forsubmitting a user's electronic credentials, a location of dataassociated with the user, or the like.

An aggregation module 104, in certain embodiments, may provide anadvanced interface for a user to graphically repair broken and/or failedinstructions for accessing a user's data from a server 108 of athird-party service provider 108, which allows a user to view code of awebpage (e.g., HTML or the like) and to identify an input location forthe user's electronic credentials, an instruction for submitting auser's electronic credentials, a location of data associated with theuser, or the like within the code of the webpage. In one embodiment, anaggregation module 104 may provide a basic interface for a user tographically repair broken and/or failed instructions for accessing auser's data from a server 108 of a third-party service provider 108 byoverlaying a basic interface over a web page or other location of theserver 108 wherein the user may graphically identify an input locationfor the user's electronic credentials, an instruction for submitting auser's electronic credentials, a location of data associated with theuser, or the like (e.g., without requiring the user to view HTML orother code of the web page). An aggregation module 104, in certainembodiments, may provide an interface that includes a selectable list ofbroken and/or missing instructions, locations, or the like, and mayhighlight and/or display suggestions graphically in response to a userselecting an item from the list.

An aggregation module 104, in one embodiment, may test instructionsprovided by users (e.g., using a test set) before allowing each of theaggregation modules 104 a to use the provided instructions (e.g., toprevent an abusive user from providing false or incorrect instructions).An aggregation module 104 may score or rate users based on a successrate of the users' provided instructions, and may expedite (e.g.,provide to a greater number of aggregation modules 104 a and/or users)the use of instructions from users with a higher score or rating. Thedistributed network of aggregation modules 104, in certain embodiments,may thereby be self-healing and/or self-testing, allowing continuedaccess to and/or aggregation of users' data from one or more third-partyservice providers 108, even if access instructions change or becomebroken.

The one or more aggregation modules 104, in certain embodiments, mayprovide an interface (e.g., an application programming interface (API))to provide downloaded and/or aggregated user data from servers 108 ofone or more third-party service providers 108 to one or more otherentities (e.g., a remote server 110 or other hardware device 102unaffiliated with the third-party service provider 108, a backendaggregation module 104 b, or the like). The interface, in oneembodiment, comprises a private interface between aggregation modules104 a of users' hardware devices 102 and one or more backend aggregationmodules 104 b. For example, this may enable a backend aggregation module104 b to provide a user with access to downloaded and/or aggregated userdata at multiple locations, on multiple hardware devices 102, throughmultiple channels, or the like, even if the user's hardware device 102which downloaded the data is turned off, out of battery, not connectedto the data network 106, or the like. In another embodiment, theinterface comprises a public and/or open interface, which may besecured, allowing a user to share the user's downloaded data from anaggregation module 104 to one or more other tools, services, and/orother entities to store, process, and/or otherwise use the data.

In various embodiments, an aggregation module 104 may be embodied ashardware, software, or some combination of hardware and software. In oneembodiment, an aggregation module 104 may comprise executable programcode stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium forexecution on a processor of a hardware device 102, a backend server 110,or the like. For example, an aggregation module 104 may be embodied asexecutable program code executing on one or more of a hardware device102, a backend server 110, a combination of one or more of theforegoing, or the like. In such an embodiment, the various modules thatperform the operations of an aggregation module 104, as described below,may be located on a hardware device 102, a backend server 110, acombination of the two, and/or the like.

In various embodiments, an aggregation module 104 may be embodied as ahardware appliance that can be installed or deployed on a backend server110, on a user's hardware device 102 (e.g., a dongle, a protective casefor a phone 102 or tablet 102 that includes one or more semiconductorintegrated circuit devices within the case in communication with thephone 102 or tablet 102 wirelessly and/or over a data port such as USBor a proprietary communications port, or another peripheral device), orelsewhere on the data network 106 and/or collocated with a user'shardware device 102. In certain embodiments, an aggregation module 104may comprise a hardware device such as a secure hardware dongle or otherhardware appliance device (e.g., a set-top box, a network appliance, orthe like) that attaches to another hardware device 102, such as a laptopcomputer, a server, a tablet computer, a smart phone, or the like,either by a wired connection (e.g., a USB connection) or a wirelessconnection (e.g., Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi®, near-field communication (NFC), orthe like); that attaches to an electronic display device (e.g., atelevision or monitor using an HDMI port, a DisplayPort port, a MiniDisplayPort port, VGA port, DVI port, or the like); that operatessubstantially independently on a data network 106; or the like. Ahardware appliance of an aggregation module 104 may comprise a powerinterface, a wired and/or wireless network interface, a graphicalinterface (e.g., a graphics card and/or GPU with one or more displayports) that outputs to a display device, and/or a semiconductorintegrated circuit device as described below, configured to perform thefunctions described herein with regard to an aggregation module 104.

An aggregation module 104, in such an embodiment, may comprise asemiconductor integrated circuit device (e.g., one or more chips, die,or other discrete logic hardware), or the like, such as afield-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic,firmware for an FPGA or other programmable logic, microcode forexecution on a microcontroller, an application-specific integratedcircuit (ASIC), a processor, a processor core, or the like. In oneembodiment, an aggregation module 104 may be mounted on a printedcircuit board with one or more electrical lines or connections (e.g., tovolatile memory, a non-volatile storage medium, a network interface, aperipheral device, a graphical/display interface. The hardware appliancemay include one or more pins, pads, or other electrical connectionsconfigured to send and receive data (e.g., in communication with one ormore electrical lines of a printed circuit board or the like), and oneor more hardware circuits and/or other electrical circuits configured toperform various functions of an aggregation module 104.

The semiconductor integrated circuit device or other hardware applianceof an aggregation module 104, in certain embodiments, comprises and/oris communicatively coupled to one or more volatile memory media, whichmay include but is not limited to: random access memory (RAM), dynamicRAM (DRAM), cache, or the like. In one embodiment, the semiconductorintegrated circuit device or other hardware appliance of an aggregationmodule 104 comprises and/or is communicatively coupled to one or morenon-volatile memory media, which may include but is not limited to: NANDflash memory, NOR flash memory, nano random access memory (nano RAM orNRAM), nanocrystal wire-based memory, silicon-oxide based sub-10nanometer process memory, graphene memory,Silicon-Oxide-Nitride-Oxide-Silicon (SONOS), resistive RAM (RRAM),programmable metallization cell (PMC), conductive-bridging RAM (CBRAM),magneto-resistive RAM (MRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), phase change RAM (PRAMor PCM), magnetic storage media (e.g., hard disk, tape), optical storagemedia, or the like.

The data network 106, in one embodiment, includes a digitalcommunication network that transmits digital communications. The datanetwork 106 may include a wireless network, such as a wireless cellularnetwork, a local wireless network, such as a Wi-Fi network, a Bluetooth®network, a near-field communication (NFC) network, an ad hoc network,and/or the like. The data network 106 may include a wide area network(WAN), a storage area network (SAN), a local area network (LAN), anoptical fiber network, the internet, or other digital communicationnetwork. The data network 106 may include two or more networks. The datanetwork 106 may include one or more servers, routers, switches, and/orother networking equipment. The data network 106 may also include one ormore computer readable storage media, such as a hard disk drive, anoptical drive, non-volatile memory, RAM, or the like.

The one or more third-party service providers 108, in one embodiment,may include one or more network accessible computing systems such as oneor more web servers hosting one or more web sites, an enterpriseintranet system, an application server, an application programminginterface (API) server, an authentication server, or the like. The oneor more third-party service providers 108 may include systems related tovarious institutions or organizations. For example, a third-partyservice provider 108 may include a system providing electronic access toa financial institution, a university, a government agency, a utilitycompany, an email provider, a social media site, a photo sharing site, avideo sharing site, a data storage site, a medical provider, or anotherentity that stores data associated with a user. A third-party serviceprovider 108 may allow users to create user accounts to upload, view,create, and/or modify data associated with the user. Accordingly, athird-party service provider 108 may include an authorization system,such as a login element or page of a web site, application, or similarfront-end, where a user can provide credentials, such as ausername/password combination, to access the user's data.

In one embodiment, the one or more backend servers 110 and/or one ormore backend aggregation modules 104 b provide central management of thenetworked swarm of aggregation modules 104 a. For example, the one ormore backend aggregation modules 104 b and/or a backend server 110 maystore downloaded user data from the aggregation modules 104 a centrally,may provide instructions for the aggregation modules 104 a to accessuser data from one or more third-party service providers 108 using usercredentials, or the like. A backend server 110 may include one or moreservers located remotely from the hardware devices 102 and/or the one ormore third-party service providers 108. A backend server 110 may includeat least a portion of the modules or sub-modules described below withregard to the aggregation modules 104 of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 , maycomprise hardware of an aggregation module 104, may store executableprogram code of an aggregation module 104 in one or more non-transitorycomputer readable storage media, and/or may otherwise perform one ormore of the various operations of an aggregation module 104 describedherein in order to aggregate user data from one or more third-partyservice providers in a distributed manner.

In certain embodiments, either in a distributed and/or decentralizedmanner from the hardware devices 102, or from a central location such asa backend server 110, an aggregation module 104 may comprise apermissions module 112 configured to provide an interface (e.g., a GUI,a CLI, an API, one or more web pages, a web-enabled application, or thelike) to a user through a hardware device 102, allowing the user tomanage multiple aggregators of the user's data (e.g., a backend server110, one or more servers 108 of third-party service providers 108,and/or other entities), manage aggregation and/or data accesspermissions, or the like.

A permissions module 112 may display, to a user, a listing of multipleentities (e.g., third-party service providers 108) the user hasauthorized to download and/or aggregate the user's data (e.g., asclients of the backend server 110, or the like), what data the user hasauthorized the entities (e.g., third-party service providers 108) todownload and/or aggregate, or the like. For example, in one embodiment,several third-party service providers 108 may comprise financialinstitutions or the like, the user may have authorized one third-partyservice provider 108 to aggregate data from one different financialinstitution (e.g., a different third-party service provider 108), andauthorized another third-party service provider 108 to aggregate datafrom two or more other financial institutions (e.g. other third-partyservice providers 108), and a permissions module 112 may display each ofthe authorizations to the user, in a graphical user interface (GUI) orthe like.

A permissions module 112 may provide an interface (e.g., a GUI) for auser to revoke and/or add an authorization for a third-party serviceprovider 108 or other entity to aggregate the user's data (e.g., from adifferent one or more third-party service provider 108, or the like. Apermissions module 112, in certain embodiments, may display, to a user,(e.g., in a GUI) whether the user's electronic credentials, provided toa third-party service provider 108 or other entity for aggregating theuser's data or the like, are valid and/or up to date (e.g., by comparingthe user's electronic credentials from the aggregation module 104 toelectronic credentials provided to a third-party service provider 108 orother entity, based on an error message from a third-party serviceprovider 108 or other entity, by attempting to log into a third-partyservice provider 108 using the electronic credentials, or the like). Inone embodiment, a permissions module 112 may provide an interface for auser to update and/or correct electronic credentials provided to one ormore third-party service providers 108 for aggregating the user's dataand may provide the updated electronic credentials to the third-partyservice provider 108 or other entity, may download or otherwiseaggregate data for the user using the updated electronic credentials onbehalf of the third-party service provider 108 or other entity, or thelike.

In this manner, in certain embodiments, a permissions module 112 mayallow a user to see how many different entities (e.g., third-partyservice providers 108) have access to one or more of the user'saccounts, which entities (e.g., third-party service providers 108) havevalid and/or up to date electronic credentials, selectively updateelectronic credentials for one or more entities (e.g., third-partyservice providers 108), revoke/cancel authorization for an entity (e.g.,third-party service provider 108) to access one or more of the user'saccounts (e.g., to download and/or aggregate data from an account forthe user), or the like, in a single location, using a single portal ortool. In one embodiment, a permissions module 112 may comprise aninterface (e.g., an API or the like) with one or more differentaggregation modules 104 or the like (e.g., associated with differentbackend servers 110, different third-party service providers 108, or thelike), allowing the permissions module 112 to provide an interface for auser to manage aggregation and/or authorizations for the one or moredifferent aggregation modules 104 as well.

In response to a third-party service provider 108 requesting access toat least a portion of a user's data downloaded and/or stored by anaggregation module 104, a permissions module 112 may display, to a user(e.g., as a pop-up window or other user interface element, in a GUI orthe like) an interface for granting, denying, and/or altering thethird-party service provider 108's request. In certain embodiments, apermissions module 112 may provide a user with fine grained controlsover access to data downloaded and/or stored by an aggregation module104. For example, in one embodiment, a permissions module 112 may allowa user to individually grant, revoke, and/or adjust access permissionsfor data from different third-party service providers 108 to otherthird-party service providers 108, for different data elements fromcertain third-party service providers 108 (e.g., certain columns,certain rows, account numbers, transactions, amounts, descriptions,interest rates, photos, posts, likes, friends, and/or otherdistinguishable data elements), for different data types, or the like.

In this manner, in some embodiments, a permissions module 112 mayprovide an interface (e.g., a GUI) for a user to grant and/or denyaccess rights for one third-party service provider 108 to access aninterest rate from a mortgage lender third-party service provider 108but not a loan amount, to access names of parties to a transaction(e.g., merchant and/or vendor names) but not transaction amounts from abank account with a different third-party service provider 108, and maygrant another third-party service provider 108 access rights to all ofthe user's aggregated data, or the like. In some embodiments, apermissions module 112 may allow a user to allow/grant, deny, and/orrevoke access of one or more third-party service providers 108 to datadownloaded from one or more other third-party service providers 108.

A permissions module 112, in certain embodiments, may comprise acentral, trusted intermediary or other entity, through which a user maymanage all permissions for the user's data downloaded and/or aggregatedfrom one or more third-party service providers 108 (e.g., on behalf ofthe user for one or more other third-party service providers 108),allowing the user to dynamically manage and adjust (e.g., using a GUI),which third-party service providers 108 have access to which portions ofdata aggregated from which other third-party service providers 108.

In one embodiment, a permissions module 112 blocks a third-party serviceprovider 108 from accessing or even verifying the existence of data forwhich a user has not granted the third-party service provider 108access. A permissions module 112, in some embodiments, may provide aninterface for a user to update a username, electronic credentials,security questions, and/or other security settings for multiplethird-party service providers 108, through a single, central, trustedlocation (e.g., in a GUI or the like from a permissions module 112). Asdescribed below with regard to the password manager module 306, incertain embodiments, a permissions module 112 and/or an aggregationmodule 104 (e.g., in cooperation with the password manager module 306)may manage and/or set electronic credentials for a plurality ofthird-party service providers 108 for a user (e.g., so that the userdoes not have to know and/or remember multiple passwords, in order togenerate more secure electronic credentials, or the like).

A permissions module 112, in certain embodiments, may monitor electroniccredentials of users (e.g., comparing usernames used with the samethird-party service provider 108, or the like) used to download and/oraggregate the users' data (e.g., in order to optimize the downloading ofdata, avoid and/or minimize the repeated download of the same data, orthe like). For example, a permissions module 112 may detect similarelectronic credentials (e.g., the same username, such as an emailaddress or other unique username) of a user for the same third-partyservice provider 108 being used to download data for multiple otherthird-party service providers 108 (e.g., the multiple other third-partyservice providers 108 may each be clients of the backend server 110 andmay have each requested aggregation of the same data for the same userfrom the user's account with the same third-party service provider 108,or the like). In one embodiment, a permissions module 112 may provide aninterface (e.g., a GUI) where a user may provide electronic credentialsfor a third-party service provider 108, and the permissions module 112may determine whether the electronic credentials are being used by anyother third-party service providers 108 to download and/or aggregatedata from the third-party service provider 108, or the like.

A permissions module 112, in some embodiments, may determine thatelectronic credentials are similar if a username (e.g., a uniqueidentifier, an email address, or the like) is the same (e.g., identical)even if the associated passwords, fingerprints, face identifiers, orother electronic credentials are different. For example, there may bedifferent passwords associated with the same account, differentthird-party service providers 108 may be using passwords for the sameaccount from different time periods (e.g., an old and/or expiredpassword), or the like, but the accounts may be the same if theusernames are the same.

If the same data for the same user is downloaded or otherwise accessedfrom the same third-party service provider 108 multiple times, fromdifferent hardware devices 102, 110 or the like, during differentsessions with different session identities (e.g., internet protocol (IP)addresses, user agent strings, browser cookies, or the like) thethird-party service provider 108 may require repeated verification(e.g., multiple one-time passwords, repeated multifactor authentication,or the like), may logout or block certain downloads, or the like. Apermissions module 112, in certain embodiments, in response to detectingthat the same account is being accessed for multiple third-party serviceproviders 108 (e.g., detecting a similar username or other electroniccredential is being used), may share the same data (e.g., downloaded bythe same hardware computing device 102, 110 from the same third-partyservice provider 108 with the same or similar electronic credentialsusing a same session identity, or the like) with each of the multiplethird-party service providers 108 requesting the data, instead ofdownloading the data repeatedly.

A session identity, in one embodiment, may include an internet protocol(IP) address to which data is downloaded (e.g., an IP address of aphysical and/or virtual computing device 102, 110 downloading the data).A session identity, in a further embodiment, includes a user agentstring (e.g., provided to the third-party service provider 108 from aphysical and/or virtual computing device 102, 110 downloading the data).A user agent string may identify a browser, an operating system, ahardware device, a client identity, a client version, a renderingengine, a compatibility, and/or other identity information for a sessionidentity. A session identity, in some embodiments, includes one or morebrowser cookies (e.g., metadata from a third-party service provider 110stored on the hardware computing device 102, 110 downloading the data,such as a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) cookie, a web cookie, aninternet cookie, an authentication cookie, a session cookie, apersistent cookie, a third-party tracking cookie, or the like).

By using and/or maintaining one or more of the same IP address, useragent string, browser cookies, or the like to download data for a userfrom a third-party service provider 110, even if the data is beingdownloaded for multiple other third-party service providers 110, incertain embodiments, a permissions module 112 may reduce theauthentication overhead of downloading the data, may reduce the load onthe third-party service provider 110, may provide more consistent datato the user (e.g., accessing the same aggregated data through themultiple other third-party service providers 110), and/or may reduce achance that the third-party service provider 110 will block access tothe user's data.

In some embodiments, even if one or more aggregation modules 104 aredownloading the data at different times and/or from different hardwarecomputing devices 102, 110, a permissions module 112 may use the samesession identity (e.g., copying, cloning, and/or spoofing an IP address,a user agent string, a browser, an operating system, a hardware device,a cookie, or the like to maintain the same session identity) over timeto download data from the same third-party service provider 108. Apermissions module 112, in certain embodiments, may even maintain thesame session identity for downloading data from a third-party serviceprovider 108 when one of multiple third-party service providers 108sharing the data removes the user (e.g., stops and/or ceases using thedata, requesting the data or the like; requests that the permissionsmodule 112 deletes and/or removes the user; or the like). In thismanner, in response to the third-party service provider 108 laterre-adding the user, the permissions module 112 may continue to use thesame session identity, and can begin sharing the same data downloadedfrom the same third-party service provider 108 with the same electroniccredentials again, so that continuity is not lost.

Although a permissions module 112 may allow multiple third-party serviceproviders 108 to share and/or otherwise use the same data, in someembodiments, the multiple third-party service providers 108 may maintaintheir own, different metadata for the same data. For example, if themultiple third third-party service providers 108 comprise financialinstitutions, financial technology providers, or the like that are eachaggregating a user's financial transaction data from one or more of thesame third-party service providers 108 (e.g., other financialinstitutions or the like), each of the multiple third-party serviceproviders 108 may receive the same financial transaction data for theuser, but may maintain separate metadata (e.g., categories fortransactions, budgets, financial goals, or the like) for the same data.In some embodiments, different members of a household, family members,or the like may share an account (e.g., a joint financial account or thelike) and may each set their own preferences, categories, budgets,financial goals, or the like, which the different third-party serviceproviders 108 may maintain as separate metadata.

A permissions module 112, in one embodiment, may be configured to clone,duplicate, and/or copy a session identity in response to a user changingand/or updating a password or other electronic credential with one ofthe third-party service providers 108 that is accessing data for theuser from another third-party service provider (e.g., maintaining theoriginal session identity using the previous password and/or otherelectronic credential and the cloned session identity with the newpassword). If the permissions module 112 determines that login issuccessful using the new password (e.g., that the user's data may beaccessed and/or downloaded using the new password), in some embodiments,the permissions module 112 may prompt the user for the changed passwordthrough a GUI of one or more of the other third-party service providers108 accessing the downloaded data (e.g., in order to obtain the user'spermission to use the new password for the other third-party serviceproviders 108), may prompt the user for authorization to use the newpassword with other third-party service providers 108, or the like. Inresponse to the login using the new password failing or beingunsuccessful (e.g., failing to download the user's data using the newpassword), the permissions module 112 may prompt the user for theprevious password, for authorization to use the previous password, orthe like through a GUI of the third-party service provider 108 throughwhich the user provided the new password, may revert from the clonedsession identity to the original session identity, or the like.

FIG. 2 depicts one embodiment of an aggregation module 104. In thedepicted embodiment, the aggregation module 104 includes a permissionsmodule 112, an authentication module 202, a direct access module 204,and an interface module 206. The permissions module 112, in certainembodiments, may be substantially similar to the permissions module 112described above with regard to FIG. 1 .

In one embodiment, the authentication module 202 receives a user'selectronic credentials for a third-party service provider 108 from theuser on a hardware device 102 of the user. In a further embodiment, theauthentication module 202 may receive electronic credentials for adifferent user (e.g., from a different hardware device 102, from abackend aggregation module 104, or the like), which may be encryptedand/or otherwise secured, so that the direct access module 204 maydownload data for the different user (e.g., downloading data formultiple users from a single user's hardware device 102).

For example, in the distributed/decentralized system 100, if one user'shardware device 102 is turned off, asleep, out of battery, blocked by athird-party service provider 108, or the like, in certain embodiments,an aggregation module 202 on a different user's hardware device 102and/or on a backend server 110 may download data for the one user, usingthe one user's electronic credentials, and may send the data to the oneuser's hardware device 102, may send an alert and/or push notificationto the one user's hardware device 102, or the like. In this manner, inone embodiment, a user may continue to aggregate data, receive alertsand/or push notifications, or the like, even if the user's own hardwaredevice 102 is blocked, unavailable, or the like. In cooperation with oneor more authentication modules 202, the aggregation modules 104 a, 104b, in certain embodiments, may communicate with each other using asecure and/or encrypted protocol, and/or may store electroniccredentials in a secure and/or encrypted manner, so that a user may notsee and/or access another user's electronic credentials, downloadeddata, or other private and/or sensitive data.

In embodiments where an aggregation module 104 comprises hardware (e.g.,a semiconductor integrated circuit device such as an FPGA, an ASIC, orthe like), the authentication module 202 may comprise dedicated securityhardware for storing and/or processing electronic credentials,downloaded data, and/or other sensitive and/or private data, such as asecure cryptoprocessor (e.g., a dedicated computer on a chip ormicroprocessor embedded in a packaging with one or more physicalsecurity measures) which does not output decrypted data to an unsecurebus or storage, which stores cryptographic keys, a secure storagedevice; a trusted platform module (TPM) such as a TPM chip and/or TPMsecurity device; a secure boot ROM or other type of ROM; anauthentication chip; or the like. In another embodiment, theauthentication module 202 may store and/or process electroniccredentials, downloaded data, and/or other sensitive data in a secureand/or encrypted way using software and/or hardware of a user's existinghardware device 102 (e.g., encrypting data in RAM, NAND, and/or othergeneral purpose storage) with or without dedicated security hardware. Incertain embodiments, the authentication module 202 may encrypt and/orsecure data (e.g., electronic credentials, downloaded data) associatedwith a first user that is received by, processed by, and/or stored by asecond (e.g., different) user's hardware device 102 (e.g., from thefirst user's hardware device 102 over the data network 106 or the like),preventing the second user from accessing the first user's data whilestill allowing the first user's data to be downloaded and/or aggregatedfrom a different user's hardware device 102.

In one embodiment, as described above, electronic credentials maycomprise one or more of a username and password, fingerprint scan,retinal scan, digital certificate, personal identification number (PIN),challenge response, security token, hardware token, software token, DNAsequence, signature, facial recognition, voice pattern recognition,bio-electric signals, two-factor authentication credentials, or otherinformation whereby the authentication module 202 may authenticateand/or validate an identity of and/or an authorization of a user.

The authentication module 202, in certain embodiments, may receivedifferent credentials from a user for different accounts of the userwith different third-party service providers 108 (e.g., different socialnetworks, different photo sharing sites, different financialinstitutions) so that the aggregation module 104 may download,aggregate, and/or combine the user's data from the multiple differentthird-party service providers 108. In one embodiment, as described belowwith regard to the password manager module 306 of FIG. 3 , theauthentication module 202, instead of and/or in addition to receivingone or more passwords or other electronic credentials from a user, maymanage and/or determine one or more passwords or other electroniccredentials for a user for one or more third-party service providers108. For example, in certain embodiments, the authentication module 202may receive an initial set of electronic credentials (e.g., a usernameand a password) from a user for an account of the user with athird-party service provider 108, and the authentication module 202 mayuse the initial set of electronic credentials to access the user'saccount with the third-party service provider 108 to set a new password,determined by the authentication module 202. The authentication module202, in one embodiment, may determine passwords or other electroniccredentials that are more secure than those typically created by and/ormemorable to a user (e.g., longer, more numbers, greater variationbetween capital and lowercase letters, more frequently changed, or thelike).

In one embodiment, the direct access module 204 accesses one or moreservers 108 of one or more third-party service providers 108, from ahardware device 102 of a user and/or from a backend server 110, using auser's electronic credentials from the authentication module 202 (e.g.,for the user associated with the hardware device 102, for a differentuser, or the like). The direct access module 204, in certainembodiments, downloads data associated with a user (e.g., a user'ssocial media posts, a user's photos, a user's financial transactions, orthe like) from one or more servers 108 of one or more third-partyservice providers 108 to a hardware device 102 of a user (e.g., of theuser associated with the downloaded data, of a different user forprocessing and/or for transfer to the hardware device 102 of the userassociated with the downloaded data, or the like) and/or to a backendserver 110 associated with the direct access module 204, instead of orin addition to downloading the data directly to a hardware device 102 ofthe user (e.g., based on an availability of the hardware device 102 ofthe user, to backup the data in a second location, or the like).

The direct access module 204, in certain embodiments, may use a webpageinterface of a server 108 of a third-party service provider 108 toaccess the server 108 using a user's electronic credentials and/or todownload data associated with the user. For example, in certainembodiments, the direct access module 204 may download/load a webpagefrom a server 108 of a third-party service provider 108, enter ausername and password or other electronic credentials for a user intotextboxes in a form on the webpage, submit the username and password orother electronic credentials using a submit button or other interfaceelement of the webpage, and/or otherwise submit electronic credentialsusing a website to gain authorized access to data on the server 108associated with the user. As described below, the pattern module 308 mayreceive and/or provide instructions enabling the direct access module204 to access a server 108 (e.g., a location or method for submittingelectronic credentials, or the like).

In response to successfully authenticating with and accessing a server108 of a third-party service provider 108 with a user's electroniccredentials, the direct access module 204 may download data associatedwith the user (e.g., from a user's account or the like) from the server108, to a hardware device 102 associated with the user, to a backendserver 110, to a hardware device 102 of another user downloading thedata in proxy for the user, or the like. As described below, in certainembodiments, the pattern module 308 may receive and/or provideinstructions enabling the direct access module 204 to download dataassociated with a user from a server 108 of a third-party serviceprovider 108 (e.g., a URL or other link to a location for the data, alabel or other identifier for locating the data within one or morewebpages or other data structures, or the like). The direct accessmodule 204, in certain embodiments, may follow instructions from apattern module 308 to authenticate and/or access data from one or morewebpages from a server 108 in a screen scraping manner, parsing one ormore webpages to locate an entry location and/or submit electroniccredentials; to locate, download, and/or extract data associated with auser; or the like.

In one embodiment, the direct access module 204 sends or otherwisesubmits electronic credentials and/or receives or otherwise downloadsdata using an API or other access protocol of a server 108 of athird-party service provider 108. For example, the direct access module204 may send a request in a format specified by and/or compatible with aserver 108 (e.g., an API server 108) of a third-party service provider108. The sent request may comprise electronic credentials for a user ora portion thereof (e.g., a username and/or a password), a subsequentrequest may comprise electronic credentials for a user or a portionthereof (e.g., in response to receiving an acknowledgment from theserver 108 for the first request, or the like), and/or the direct accessmodule 204 may use a different access protocol of a server 108.

In response to a request for data from the direct access module 204(e.g., in response to the direct access module 204 authenticating a userusing an access protocol of a server 108), a server 108 of a third-partyservice provider 108 may send and/or return data associated with a user(e.g., in one or more messages, packets, payloads, as a URL or otherpointer to a location from where the direct access module 204 mayretrieve the data, or the like). The direct access module 204, invarious embodiments, may receive data associated with a user directlyfrom a server 108 of a third-party service provider 108 over a datanetwork 106; may receive a pointer, URL or other link to a location ofdata associated with a user from a server 108 of a third-party serviceprovider 108; may receive data associated with a user from anotherentity on a data network 106 (e.g., in response to a request from theserver 108 of the third-party service provider 108 to the other entityor the like); or may otherwise receive data associated with a useraccording to an access protocol of a third-party service provider 108.

In one embodiment, a third-party service provider 108 provides a directaccess module 204 with an API or other access protocol. In a furtherembodiment, a direct access module 204 may act as a wrapper for and/or aplugin or extension of, an application of a third-party service provider108 (e.g., a mobile application), and the application may have access toan API or other access protocol of the third-party service provider 108.In another embodiment, a direct access module 204 may be configured touse an API or other access protocol in a same manner as an applicationof a third-party service provider 108 (e.g., a mobile application),through observation of the application of the third-party serviceprovider 108 or the like. In certain embodiments, a direct access module204 may cooperate with an application of a third-party service provider108, a web browser through which a user accesses services of athird-party service provider 108, or the like to access data associatedwith a user (e.g., accessing data already downloaded by an applicationand/or user, accessing a database or other data store of an applicationand/or web browser, scanning and/or screen scraping a web page of athird-party service provider 108 as a user accesses the web page, or thelike).

The direct access module 204, in certain embodiments, may accessdifferent third-party service providers 108 in different manners. Forexample, a first third-party service provider 108 may grant the directaccess module 204 with access to an API or other access protocol, whilethe direct access module 204 may use a web page interface (e.g., screenscraping) to access and download data from a second third-party serviceprovider 108, or the like. In one embodiment, a remote backend server110 may be associated with a first party service provider 110 (e.g., avendor and/or provider of an aggregation module 104) and the directaccess module 204 may download data associated with a user from both thefirst party service provider 110 and from one or more third-partyservice providers 108, aggregating the data together so that the usermay access the data in a single interface and/or application. Forexample, as described below with regard to the interface module 206, theinterface module 206 may provide a user access to the user's photos frommultiple third-party cloud storage providers 108 within a single photoapplication, may provide a user with access to the user's personalfinancial information within a single personal financial managementapplication and/or online banking application, may provide a user withaccess to posts from multiple social networks within a single socialnetworking application, or the like.

The direct access module 204, in certain embodiments, may storedownloaded and/or aggregated data independently from the one or morethird-party service providers 108. For example, the direct access module204 may store a user's downloaded and/or aggregated data on a hardwaredevice 102 of the user, on a backend server 110 accessible by the user,or the like. In this manner, in certain embodiments, a user may controland/or access the user's data, even if a third-party service provider108 closes down or is not available, may use the user's data in anymanner desired by the user even if the use is not supported by athird-party service provider 108, or the like.

The direct access module 204, in one embodiment, in addition to and/orinstead of downloading data from one or more third-party serviceproviders 108, may upload data to and/or change one or more settings ofone or more third-party service providers 108, in response to user inputor the like. For example, in embodiments where the data comprisesphotos, the direct access module 204 may upload a photo from a hardwaredevice 102 of the user to one or more third-party service providers 110(e.g., a downloaded photo that the user has edited on the hardwaredevice 102 or the like). In embodiments where the data comprises socialmedia posts or other content, the direct access module 204 may receiveinput from a user (e.g., a photo, a textual post, one or more emoji, avideo, a document or other file, or the like) and upload the receivedinput to one or more third-party service providers 108 (e.g., socialmedia sites or the like). In embodiments where the data comprisesfinancial transactions or other financial data, the direct access module204 may schedule a bill pay or other payment or funds transfer, remotelydeposit a check (e.g., by uploading photos of the front and/or back ofthe check, or the like), and/or perform another action.

The direct access module 204 may update or change a user's accountinformation with a third-party service provider 108, such as an accounttype or plan, credit card or other payment information associated withan account, a phone number or address or other contact informationassociated with an account, a password or other electronic credentialsfor an account, and/or other account information of a user for athird-party service provider 108. The direct access module 204 mayupdate and/or upload data in a substantially similar manner to thatdescribed herein for downloading data (e.g., determining a user'selectronic credentials for a third-party service provider 108, accessinga server 108 of the third-party service provider 108, uploading and/orproviding data to the third-party service provider 108, or the like).

In one embodiment, the interface module 206 provides a user's datadownloaded by the direct access module 204, from a hardware device 102of a user (e.g., of the user associated with the downloaded data, of adifferent user) to another entity, such as a hardware device 102 of auser associated with the downloaded data (e.g., in response to the databeing downloaded by a hardware device 102 of a different user, from onehardware device 102 of a user to another hardware device 102 of the sameuser), a remote server 110 or other remote device 102 unaffiliated with(e.g., not owned by, operated by, controlled by, or the like) thethird-party service provider 108 from which the data was downloaded, orthe like. For example, the interface module 206 may provide an API orother interface to provide a user's downloaded and/or aggregated data toa hardware device 102 of the user, to a backend aggregation module 104b, to a backend server 110, to a different third-party service provider108, to a different/second hardware device 102 of the user, or the like.

In certain embodiments, it may be transparent and/or substantiallytransparent to a user (e.g., not apparent) which hardware device 102,110 has downloaded data associated with the user. For example, theinterface module 206 may provide downloaded data associated with a userfrom one hardware device 102 of the user to another hardware device 102of the user, from a hardware device 102 of the user to a backend server110 (e.g., from which the user may access the data using a web browser,an application, or the like), from a backend server 110 to a hardwaredevice 102 of the user, or the like, allowing the user to access thedata from a different location than the location to which the data wasdownloaded.

In certain embodiments, the interface module 206 provides a graphicaluser interface (GUI) on a hardware device 102 of a user, and providesdownloaded data associated with the user to the user through the GUI(e.g., allowing the user to view the data directly, providing one ormore notifications and/or recommendations to the user based on the data,providing one or more tables or charts to the user based on the data,providing a summary of or one or more statistics related to the data, orthe like). The interface module 206, in various embodiments, may providea GUI to the user from the same hardware device 102 to which the datawas downloaded, on a different hardware device 102 than the hardwaredevice 102, 110 to which the data was downloaded, or the like.

For example, in one embodiment, where the data associated with a usercomprises photos, the interface module 206 may provide a photomanagement interface, a photo editing interface, or the like wherein theuser may view and/or otherwise access the user's downloaded and/oraggregated photos. In a further embodiment, where the data associatedwith a user comprises the user's financial transaction history (e.g.,purchases and/or other financial transactions downloaded from one ormore financial institutions 108 such as banks, credit unions, lenders,or the like), the interface module 206 may provide a personal financialmanagement interface, with a list of transactions, one or more budgets,one or more financial goals, a debt management interface, a net worthinterface, and/or another personal financial management interfacewherein the user may view the user's downloaded and/or aggregatedfinancial transaction history, and/or alerts or recommendations basedthereon. In another embodiment, where the data associated with a usercomprises social media posts, the interface module 206 may provide a GUIcomprising a stream, feed, and/or wall of social media posts for theuser to view (e.g., downloaded and/or aggregated social media posts frommultiple social networks 108, from different contacts or friends of theuser, or the like).

The interface module 206, in certain embodiments, may provide one ormore access controls to a user, allowing the user to define whichdevices 102, users, third-party service providers 110, or the like mayaccess which data. For example, the interface module 206 may provide aninterface for a user to allow and/or restrict certain mobileapplications, certain APIs for third-party services, certain plugins orextensions, certain users, certain hardware devices 102, and/or one ormore other entities to access data downloaded for the user from one ormore third-party service providers 108 (e.g., with access controls bythird-party service provider 108 or other data source, by data type, byentity requesting access, and/or at another granularity). In thismanner, the aggregation module 104, in certain embodiments, may comprisea local repository of aggregated data, which one or more other devices102 and/or services may access and use, with a user's permission.

FIG. 3 depicts another embodiment of an aggregation module 104. In thedepicted embodiment, the aggregation module 104 includes a permissionsmodule 112, an authentication module 202, a direct access module 204,and an interface module 206 and further includes a route module 314, afrequency module 316, and a test module 318. The authentication module202, in the depicted embodiment, includes a local authentication module302, a network authentication module 304, and a password manager module306. The direct access module 204, in the depicted embodiment, includesa pattern module 308, an access repair module 310, and a hierarchymodule 312.

In one embodiment, the local authentication module 302 secures and/orauthenticates the user's access to downloaded data, to stored passwords,and/or other data on a user's hardware device 102, transferred to and/orfrom a user's hardware device 102, or the like. For example, the localauthentication module 302 may cooperate with one or more security and/orauthentication systems of the user's hardware device 102, such as a PIN,password, fingerprint authentication, facial recognition, or otherelectronic credentials used by the user to gain access to the hardwaredevice 102. In a further embodiment, the local authentication module 302may authenticate a user before allowing the interface module 206 toprovide the user access to downloaded/aggregated data and/or alerts orother messages. For example, the local authentication module 302 maymanage and/or access electronic credentials associated with theaggregation module 104, for a user, and may authenticate the user inresponse to the user accessing an application and/or service of theaggregation module 104.

In certain embodiments, the local authentication module 302 may encryptand/or otherwise secure, on a user's hardware device 102, electroniccredentials and/or downloaded data associated with a different user, sothat the user may not access data associated with the different user,but the different user may access the data once it is transmitted to ahardware device 102 of the different user, to a backend server 110, orthe like. Local authentication modules 302 of different hardware devices102, 110 may cooperate to securely transfer data (e.g., one or moreelectronic credentials, downloaded data, or the like) over the datanetwork 106, from one hardware device 102, 110 to another hardwaredevice 102, 110. In a further embodiment, the local authenticationmodule 302 may ensure that a user's electronic credentials and/ordownloaded data remain on a single hardware device 102 (e.g., are nottransmitted on a data network 106), in a secure repository or the like,and are not stored on and/or accessible to a backend server 110, ahardware device 102 of another user, or the like.

In one embodiment, the network authentication module 304 receives and/orstores a user's electronic credentials for one or more third-partyservice providers 108 on a hardware device 102 of the user, on a backendserver 110, or the like. The network authentication module 304, invarious embodiments, may receive a user's electronic credentials fromthe user, from a hardware device 102 of the user, from a backend server110, or the like. The network authentication module 304 may cooperatewith the direct access module 204 to provide a user's electroniccredentials to a server 108 of a third-party service provider 108 (e.g.,the network authentication module 304 may provide electronic credentialsto the direct access module 204 to provide to a server 108, the networkauthentication module 304 may provide electronic credentials directly toa server 108, or the like).

The network authentication module 304, in certain embodiments, maycooperate with the local authentication module 302 to encrypt and/orotherwise secure a user's electronic credentials for one or morethird-party service providers 108, on a hardware device 102 of a user,on a data network 106, on a hardware device 102 of a different user, ona backend server 110, while being provided to a server 108 of athird-party service provider 108, or the like. In a further embodiment,the network authentication module 304 ensures that a user's electroniccredentials are only stored on a user's hardware device 102 and sentfrom the user's hardware device 102 to a server 108 of a third-partyservice provider 108, and does not store a user's electronic credentialson a backend server 110, on a different user's hardware device 102, orthe like. In another embodiment, the network authentication module 304may securely store (e.g., using secure encryption) a user's electroniccredentials for a third-party service provider 108 on a backend server110, on a different user's hardware device 102, or the like, so that adirect access module 204 may access and/or download data associated withthe user, even if the hardware device 102 of the user is unavailable,blocked, or the like, as described below with regard to the route module314. In certain embodiments, whether the network authentication module304 and/or the local authentication module 302 allow electroniccredentials to be sent to and/or stored by a different user's hardwaredevice 102, a backend server 110, or the like may be based on a settingdefined based on user input, so that the user may decide a level ofsecurity, or the like.

In one embodiment, the password manager module 306 may manage and/orstore electronic credentials of a user for a plurality of third-partyservice providers 108, so that the direct access module 204 may accessand/or download data associated with the user from each of the pluralityof third-party service providers 108. The password manager module 306,in certain embodiments, may generate and/or otherwise manage different,secure, credentials for each of a plurality of third-party serviceproviders 108.

The password manager module 306, in one embodiment, may securely storegenerated credentials for a user on a hardware device 102 of the user,so that the user does not have to remember and enter the generatedelectronic credentials. For example, in addition to allowing a directaccess module 204 to access a third-party service provider 108 usinggenerated electronic credentials, the password manager module 306 mayautomatically populate one or more interface elements of a form on awebpage with electronic credentials (e.g., a username, a password) ofthe user, in response to the user visiting the web page in a webbrowser, or the like, without the user manually entering the electroniccredentials. The password manager module 306, in certain embodiments,may periodically update (e.g., regenerate different credentials, such asa different password, and update the user's account with the third-partyservice provider 108 with the regenerated different credentials)electronic credentials for a user, such as every week, every month,every two months, every three months, every four months, every fivemonths, every six months, every year, every two years, in response to auser request, in response to a request from a third-party serviceprovider 108, and/or over another time period or in response to anotherperiodic trigger.

The password manager module 306, in one embodiment, may synchronize auser's electronic credentials (e.g., provided by the user, generated bythe password manager module 306, or the like) across different hardwaredevices 102, web browsers, or the like of a user. For example, inresponse to a password manager module 306 and/or the user updating orotherwise changing electronic credentials, the password manager module306 may propagate the update/change to one or more other passwordmanager modules 306, on different hardware devices 102 of the user, orthe like.

In one embodiment, the pattern module 308 determines an ordered list(e.g., a pattern, a script, or the like) of multiple locations on one ormore servers 108 of a third-party service provider 108 for the directaccess module 204 to access the server (e.g., which may includelocations other than where the data of the user is stored and/oraccessible), one or more delays for the direct access module 204 to waitbetween accessing locations on the server 108, and/or other componentsof an access pattern for accessing data of a server. Locations, incertain embodiments, comprise independently addressable and/oraccessible content and/or assets provided by one or more servers of athird-party service provider 108, or the like, such as webpages,portions of a webpage, images or other data files, databases or otherdata stores, pages or sections of a mobile application, or the like. Thepattern module 308, in one embodiment, determines a pattern/ordered listthat contains one or more locations and/or delays that are not necessaryfor the direct access module 204 to access or use in order to downloaddesired data, but instead, the pattern/ordered list may make itdifficult or impossible for the third-party service provider 108 todistinguish between the direct access module 204 accessing a server ofthe third-party service provider 108 and a user accessing the server ofthe third-party service provider.

The pattern module 308, in one embodiment, may determine and/or selectthe multiple locations and/or the one or more delays (e.g., apattern/ordered list) based on an average pattern or a combined patternidentified in or based on behavior of multiple users accessing athird-party service provider 108 using a web browser, a mobileapplication, or the like. The pattern module 308, in one embodiment, maymonitor one or more users (e.g., for a predetermined period of time orthe like) as they access a server of a third-party service provider 108,tracking which links, data, webpages, and/or other locations the one ormore users access, how long the one or more users access differentlocations, an order in which the one or more users access locations, orthe like. In certain embodiments, the one or more monitored users may bevolunteers, who have provided the pattern module 308 with authorizationto temporarily or permanently monitor the users' access, in order toprovide a more realistic access pattern for the direct access module 204to use to access a server of a third-party service provider 108.

In a further embodiment, the pattern module 308 determines and/orselects multiple locations and/or one or more delays between accessingdifferent locations based on a pattern identified in behavior of theuser associated with the hardware device 102 on which the pattern module308 is disposed, accessing the third-party service using a web browser,a mobile or desktop application, or other interface of the user'shardware device 102. For example, the pattern module 308 may comprisenetwork hardware of the user's hardware device 102 (e.g., a networkaccess card and/or chip, a processor, an FPGA, an ASIC, or the like incommunication with the data network 106 to monitor data and/orinteractions with a server of a third-party service provider 108), a webbrowser plugin or extension, a mobile and/or desktop applicationexecuting on a processor of the user's hardware device 102, or the like.The pattern module 308 may request and receive authorization from theuser to monitor the user's activity with regard to one or more serversof one or more third-party service providers 108 from the user'shardware device 102.

The pattern module 308, in certain embodiments, may update apattern/ordered list over time, based on detected changes in accesspatterns of one or more users or the like. In one embodiment, thepattern module 308 may coordinate and/or cooperate with the accessrepair module 310, described below, to update a pattern/ordered list inresponse to a server 108 of a third-party service provider 108 and/ordata associated with a user becoming broken and/or inaccessible.

In one embodiment, the access repair module 310 detects that access to aserver 108 of a third-party service 108 and/or data associated with auser is broken and/or becomes inaccessible. The access repair module310, in certain embodiments, provides an interface to a user allowingthe user to graphically identify an input location for the user'selectronic credentials, a location of data associated with the user, orthe like. For example, the access repair module 310 may provide a GUI, acommand line interface (CLI), an API, and/or another interface allowingan end user to identify an input location for electronic credentials, anaction for submitting electronic credentials, a location of data, or thelike. The access repair module 310, in one embodiment, provides aninterface to a user on a hardware device 102 of the user.

In certain embodiments, for example, the access repair module 310 mayoverlay an interface over one or more pages of a website of athird-party service provider 108 on an electronic display screen of auser's hardware device 102, as described in greater detail below withregard to FIGS. 5A-5B. The access repair module 310 may provide one ormore interfaces (e.g., GUIs, CLIs, APIs, overlays, or the like) tomultiple users, allowing multiple users to define a repair and/or updatefor access to a server of a third-party service provider 108 (e.g., in adistributed and/or decentralized manner, from different hardware devices102 or the like over a network 106).

The access repair module 310, in certain embodiments, may determineand/or display one or more suggestions 504 and/or recommendations 504for the user, which the user may either confirm or change/correct (e.g.,in a basic interface, a standard interface, a beginning user interface,or the like). For example, the access repair module 310 may display oneor more interface elements with a suggested location for a user to entera user name, a suggested location for a user to enter a password, asuggested credential submit action, a suggested location of dataassociated with the user, and/or one or more other interface elementsallowing a user to graphically identify one or more locations within awebsite of a third-party service provider 108.

The access repair module 310, in certain embodiments, processes one ormore pages of and/or other locations on a server 108 (e.g., one or morewebsites, web apps, or the like) to determine an estimate and/orprediction of an input location for a user's electronic credentials, anaction for submitting a user's electronic credentials, a location ofdata associated with a user, or the like. In one embodiment, the accessrepair module 310 may estimate one or more locations and/or actions(e.g., by scanning and/or parsing one or more pages of a web site, basedon input from other users accessing one or more pages of a website,based on previous interactions of the user with one or more pages of awebsite, a prediction made using a machine learning and/or artificialintelligence analysis of a website, based on a statistical analysis ofhistorical changes to one or more pages of a website and/or of one ormore similar websites, or the like). The access repair module 310 maydisplay to a user in an interface an estimate and/or prediction of aninput location for the user's electronic credentials, a location of dataassociated with the user, or the like so that the user may confirmwhether or not the estimate and/or prediction is correct using theinterface.

The access repair module 310 may indicate one or more estimatedlocations and/or actions with an arrow or other pointer to a location; alink or other identifier of a location; a box or other highlightingaround a location; by altering text labeling for a location to make thetext bold, italic, and/or underlined; or the like. A user, in certainembodiments, may click, select, or otherwise identify a location toeither confirm or change/correct a location suggested by the accessrepair module 310. For example, a user may click or otherwise select aninterface element associated with a location and/or action and may clickor otherwise select the location and/or perform the action, which theaccess repair module 310 may record (e.g., automatically populating atext field identifying the location and/or action, recording a macroallowing the action to be automatically repeated without the user, for adifferent user, or the like).

In certain embodiments, instead of or in addition to a standard, basic,or beginning user interface, the access repair module 310 may provide anadvanced interface, for experienced users or the like, with source codeof a web site and/or other details of the website. For example, in oneembodiment, an advanced access repair interface may allow one or moreadvanced users to identify one or more locations and/or actions withinsource code of a website, which may not be visible and/or readilyapparent in the website itself. In certain embodiments, the accessrepair module 310 may provide a user interface element allowing a userto select and/or toggle between a standard user interface or view and anadvanced user interface or view.

In one embodiment, the test module 318 cooperates with the access repairmodule 310 to verify whether or not one or more received locationsand/or instructions from a user are accurate (e.g., usable to accessdata from a server of a third-party service provider 108). The testmodule 318, in certain embodiments, attempts to access a server 108 of athird-party service provider 108 for a plurality of different users(e.g., a sample group or test set), based on an identification theaccess repair module 310 received from a single user, using electroniccredentials of the different users or the like.

The test module 318, in certain embodiments, determines whether dataassociated with the different users (e.g., a sample group or test set)is accessible using the identification from the single user. The testmodule 318 may repeatedly attempt to access data from a third-partyservice provider 108 using identifications which the access repairmodule 310 received from different users (e.g., on different hardwaredevices 102 and sent to the test module 318 on a single hardware device102 over the data network 106, sent to multiple test modules 318 ondifferent hardware devices 102 over the data network 106, sent to a testmodule 318 on a central backend server 110, or the like).

The test module 318, in one embodiment, provides one or moreidentifications from a user to other instances of the direct accessmodule 204 (e.g., other test modules 318) for accessing a server 108 ofa third-party service provider 108 in response to an amount of thedifferent users (e.g., a sample group or test set) for which data isaccessible using the identification from the single user satisfying athreshold. For example, if the identification from the single usersuccessfully allows a predefined number of other test users (e.g., 2users, 10 users, 100 users, 1000 users, 50% of test users, 75% of testusers, and/or another predefined threshold number of test users) toaccess their data from a third-party service provider 108, the testmodule 318 may provide instructions based on the identification to moreusers (e.g., all or substantially all users, or the like).

In certain embodiments, the test module 318 may successively increase atest size comprising a number of users to which the test module 318provides instructions for accessing their data from a third-partyservice provider 108 using an identification from a single user (e.g.,starting with one or more test users, increasing to two or more, threeor more, four or more, five or more, ten or more, twenty or more, thirtyor more, forty or more, fifty or more, one hundred or more, five hundredor more, one thousand or more, five thousand or more, ten thousand ormore, one hundred thousand or more, a million or more, and/or othersuccessively increasing numbers of test users). The test module 318, inone embodiment, includes instructions based on an identification from asingle user in an ordered list of multiple different sets ofinstructions for accessing a server 108 of a third-party serviceprovider 108, as described in greater detail below with regard to thehierarchy module 312.

The test module 318, in certain embodiments, is configured to prioritizeidentifications from one or more users based on one or more trustfactors for the one or more users (e.g., scores or the like). A trustfactor, in one embodiment, may comprise a score or other metadataindicating a likelihood that a user's identification is correct. Forexample, in various embodiments, a trust factor may include and/or bebased on one or more of a history of a user's previous identifications(e.g., correct or incorrect), a user's affiliation with a provider(e.g., a creator, a vendor, an owner, a seller, a reseller, amanufacturer, the backend server 110, or the like) of the one or moreaggregation modules 104, positive and/or negative indicators (e.g.,votes, likes, uses, feedback, stars, endorsements, or the like) fromother users, and/or other indicators of whether or not a user'sidentification is likely to be correct. The test module 318 maydetermine how many other users to provide a user's identification basedon one or more trust factors associated with the user (e.g.,accelerating a rate at which a user's identification is provided toother users in response to a higher trust factor, decreasing a rate atwhich a user's identification is provided to other users in response toa lower trust factor, or the like).

The test module 318 may provide an override interface, allowing anadministrator, moderator user, or the like to remove an identification,adjust and/or override an identification, adjust and/or override a trustfactor for a user, ban a user from providing identifications, and/orotherwise override a user or a user's identification. In variousembodiments, the test module 318 may provide an override interface to anadministrator and/or moderator as a GUI, an API, a CLI, or the like.

In certain embodiments, the test module 318 causes the one or moreaggregation modules 104 and their aggregation services to be selfhealing, self testing, and/or self incrementally deploying, as it testsand uses the most effective solutions, or the like (e.g., sets ofinstructions based on indications from one or more users).

In one embodiment, the hierarchy module 312 provides the direct accessmodule 204 with an ordered list of multiple different sets ofinstructions for accessing a server 108 of a third-party serviceprovider 108 using a user's electronic credentials, for downloading dataassociated with the user, or the like. Each different set ofinstructions, in certain embodiments, comprises a location for enteringa user's electronic credentials, an instruction for submitting theuser's electronic credentials, one or more locations of the dataassociated with the user, or the like.

The hierarchy module 312, in one embodiment, may receive one or moresets of instructions from a backend server 110 (e.g., a backendaggregation module 104 b of a backend server 110), from another userhardware device 102 in a peer-to-peer manner (e.g., an aggregationmodule 104 a of a user hardware device 102), from a test module 318, orthe like. The hierarchy module 312, in certain embodiments, may receivemultiple different sets of instructions already in an ordered list(e.g., a global hierarchical order) based on a history of successfuland/or unsuccessful uses of the different sets of instructions bydifferent user hardware devices 102 and/or users, or the like. In oneembodiment, the hierarchy module 312 may determine a hierarchy forand/or create an ordered list from multiple different sets ofinstructions for a single user (e.g., a custom or individualizedhierarchy) based on a history of successful and/or unsuccessful uses ofthe different sets of instructions by the user (e.g., from one or morehardware devices 102 of the user).

The direct access module 104, in one embodiment, may iterate through anordered list of multiple sets of instructions for accessing a server 108of a third-party service provider 108, in the order of the list, untilone of the sets of instructions is successful and the direct accessmodule 104 is able to access and/or download data from the third-partyservice provider 108. The hierarchy module 312, in one embodiment, mayplace a most recent successfully used set of instructions at the top(e.g., as the first set to try). For example, the hierarchy module 312for a user's hardware device 102 may place a set of instructions foraccessing a third-party service provider 108 at the top of a list (e.g.,adjusting an order of the list over time) in response to the directaccess module 204 successfully accessing and/or downloading data fromthe third-party service provider 108 using the set of instructions. Incertain embodiments, the hierarchy module 312 may receive an orderedlist of multiple different sets of instructions for accessing a server108 of a third-party service provider 108 in a first order (e.g., aglobal order) and may dynamically adjust and/or rearrange the differentsets of instructions over time based on a single user's/hardware device102's use (e.g., moving a set of instructions up in the list if accessusing the set of instructions is successful for the user/hardware device102, moving a set of instructions down in the list if access using theset of instructions is unsuccessful for the user/hardware device 102, orthe like).

The hierarchy module 312, in certain embodiments, may be configured toshare one or more sets of instructions, an ordered list of multiple setsof instructions, or the like with a hierarchy module 312 of anotheruser's hardware device 102 over a data network 106 (e.g., directly tothe other user's hardware device 102 in a peer-to-peer manner,indirectly by way of a backend aggregation module 104 b of a backendserver 110, or the like). Different sets of instructions may besuccessful or unsuccessful for different users, in various embodiments,due to different account types, different account settings, differentoriginating systems (e.g., due to a corporate acquisition or the like,different users of the same third-party service provider 108 may haveone or more different settings, different access methods, or the like),system changes or upgrades, and/or another difference in accounts,services, or the like for different users of the same third-partyservice provider 108.

In one embodiment, the route module 314 determines whether a hardwaredevice 102 of a user is available for the direct access module 204 todownload data associated with the user from a server 108 of athird-party service provider 108. The route module 314, in certainembodiments, may access a server 108 of a third-party service provider108, from a remote backend server 110, using the user's electroniccredentials, to download data associated with the user from the server108 to the remote backend server 110 in response to the route module 314determining that the hardware device 102 of the user is unavailable. Theroute module 314, in one embodiment, provides a user one or more alerts(e.g., downloaded data from a third-party service provider 108, arecommendation or suggestion determined based on data from a third-partyservice provider 108, a notification or other alert based on an event orother trigger detected in data from a third-party service provider 108,or the like) on a hardware device 102 of the user based on the dataassociated with the user downloaded to the remote backend server 110.

In certain embodiments, the route module 314 maintains and/or stores alist of multiple hardware devices 102 associated with a single userand/or account. In response to determining that one hardware device 102associated with a user and/or account is unavailable (e.g., powereddown, in airplane mode, not connected to the data network 106, or thelike), the route module 314 may access a server 108 of a third-partyservice provider 108 from a different, available hardware device 102 ofthe user and/or account, may provide one or more notifications or otheralerts on a different, available hardware device 102, or the like. Theroute module 314, in various embodiments as described below with regardto FIGS. 4A-4C, may dynamically route downloading of data for a userfrom a third-party service provider 108 between multiple hardwaredevices, such as one or more hardware devices 102 of the user, one ormore hardware devices 102 of a different user, one or more backendservers 110, and/or another hardware device, in a secure manner.

The route module 314, in one embodiment, may alternate or rotate betweenmultiple hardware devices 102, 110 (e.g., of the same user, of differentusers, or the like) for downloading data for the same user from athird-party service provider 108 periodically. For example, rotatingand/or alternating devices 102, 110 from which data is downloaded, maydecrease a likelihood that the downloading will be misinterpreted asfraudulent or improper. In another embodiment, the route module 314 maydownload data from the same device 102, 110 (e.g., a primary hardwaredevice 102 of a user, a backend server 110, or the like), which may beauthorized and/or identified by the third-party service provider 108 asa trusted device, or the like.

In one embodiment, the frequency module 316 sets a frequency with whichthe direct access module 204 accesses the server 108 of a third-partyservice provider 108. The frequency module 316, in certain embodiments,determines a frequency based on input from a remote backend server 110,which may be unaffiliated with the third-party service provider 108being accessed, so that the remote backend server 110 (e.g., thefrequency module 316 executing on the remote backend server 110)determines frequencies for a plurality of direct access modules 204 fordifferent users and/or different hardware devices 102. For example, thefrequency module 316 may limit a single user and/or hardware device 102from accessing the same third-party service provider 108 more than anallowed threshold number of times within a time period (e.g., once everyten minutes, once every half an hour, once every hour, twice a day,three times a day, four times a day, or the like). The frequency module316, in certain embodiments, limits an access frequency to preventinadvertent denial of service by a third-party service provider 108, orthe like.

The frequency module 316, in certain embodiments, may dynamically adjusta frequency with which a user and/or hardware device 102 may access athird-party service provider 108 over time. For example, the frequencymodule 316 may monitor access and/or downloads by multiple users (e.g.,all users, available users, active users, or the like) to cap or limit atotal access and/or download bandwidth for each of the differentthird-party service providers 108 (e.g., so as not to overwhelm anysingle third-party service provider 108, or the like). In this manner,in one embodiment, a user and/or hardware device 102 may access and/ordownload data with a higher frequency when fewer other users and/orhardware devices 102 are accessing and/or downloading data (e.g., lowpeak times), but may be limited to a lower cap or access frequency whenmore other users and/or hardware devices 102 are accessing and/ordownloading data (e.g., high peak times).

In a further embodiment, the frequency module 316 determines a frequencybased on input from a user, allowing the user to set the accessfrequency independently of other users and/or of a backend server 110.The frequency module 316 may provide a user interface (e.g., a GUI, CLI,API, or the like) allowing a user to set and/or adjust an accessfrequency for downloading data from one or more third-party serviceproviders 108 using one or more hardware devices 102 (e.g., providingdifferent settings allowing the user to set different access frequenciesfor different third-party service providers 108, different hardwaredevices 102 of the user, or the like).

FIG. 4A depicts one embodiment of a system 400 for aggregation platformpermissions. The system 400, in the depicted embodiment, includes asingle user hardware device 102 with an aggregation module 104 a. Anauthentication module 202 of the aggregation module 104 a, in certainembodiments, may store and/or manage electronic user credentials locallyon the user's hardware device 102, the direct access module 204 mayaccess one or more third-party service providers 108 directly from theuser's hardware device 102 (e.g., over the data network 106) to downloaddata associated with the user to the user's hardware device 102, theinterface module 206 may provide the data and/or one or morealerts/messages based on the data to the user from the user's hardwaredevice 102, or the like. In the depicted system 400, the aggregationmodule 104 a may create a local repository of data for the user from oneor more third-party service providers 108, on the user's hardware device102, without providing the user's credentials, the user's data, or thelike to a different user's hardware device, to a backend server 110, orthe like.

FIG. 4B depicts one embodiment of a system 402 for aggregation platformpermissions. The system 402, in the depicted embodiment, includes aplurality of user hardware devices 102 with aggregation modules 104 a,associated with different users. In certain embodiments, a firstaggregation module 104 a (e.g., an authentication module 202 of thefirst aggregation module 104 a) may securely provide encrypted usercredentials for a first user from the first user's hardware device 102 ato a second aggregation module 104 a (e.g., an authentication module 202of the second aggregation module 104 a), over the data network 106 orthe like, so that a direct access module 204 of the second aggregationmodule 104 a may access one or more third-party service providers 108from the second user's hardware device 102 b (e.g., over the datanetwork 106) to download data associated with the first user.

For example, the second user's hardware device 102 b may download datafor the first user in response to the first user's hardware device 102 abeing powered off, being asleep, being blocked from accessing one ormore third-party service providers 108, or the like, as determined by aroute module 314, or the like. The interface module 206 of the secondaggregation module 104 a may provide one or more alerts/messages to thefirst user based on the downloaded data and/or may provide thedownloaded data to the first user (e.g., in response to the first user'shardware device 102 a becoming available, to a different hardware device102 associated with the first user, to a backend server 110 to which thefirst user has access, or the like). As described above, in certainembodiments, the authentication module 202, the direct access module204, the interface module 206, and/or the route module 314 may encryptand/or otherwise secure data for the first user (e.g., the first user'selectronic credentials, downloaded data associated with the first user,alerts/messages for the first user), so that it is difficult orimpossible for the second user to access the data for the first user,thereby preventing and/or minimizing unauthorized access to the firstuser's data while providing greater flexibility in devices 102 and/orlocations from which data for the first user may be downloaded.

FIG. 4C depicts one embodiment of a system 404 for aggregation platformpermissions. The system 404, in the depicted embodiment, includes one ormore user hardware devices 102 with one or more aggregation modules 104a, and one or more backend servers 110 comprising one or more backendaggregation modules 104 b. An authentication module 202 of anaggregation module 104 a, in certain embodiments, may securely provideencrypted user credentials for a user from the user's hardware device102 to a backend aggregation module 104 b (e.g., an authenticationmodule 202 of the backend aggregation module 104 b) on a backend server110, over the data network 106 or the like, so that a direct accessmodule 204 of the backend aggregation module 104 b may access one ormore third-party service providers 108 from the backend server 110(e.g., over the data network 106) to download data associated with theuser.

For example, the backend server 110 may download data for the user inresponse to the user's hardware device 102 a being powered off, beingasleep, being blocked from accessing one or more third-party serviceproviders 108, or the like, as determined by a route module 314, or thelike. The interface module 206 of the backend aggregation module 104 bmay provide one or more alerts/messages to the user based on thedownloaded data and/or may provide the downloaded data to the user(e.g., in response to the user's hardware device 102 a becomingavailable, to a different hardware device 102 associated with the firstuser, directly from the backend server 110 as a web page and/or througha dedicated application, or the like).

FIG. 5A depicts one embodiment of a graphical user interface 500. TheGUI 500, in certain embodiments, is provided by a permissions module 112to a user on an electronic display screen of a hardware device 102,allowing a user to dynamically define and/or adjust access controls,validate and/or update passwords, or the like for one or morethird-party service providers 108 that would like access to the user'sdata aggregated from one or more other third-party service providers108. In one embodiment, the GUI 500 comprises a web page. In a furtherembodiment, the GUI 500 comprises a mobile application, a desktopapplication, and or another graphical user interface displayed on anelectronic display screen 506 of a hardware computing device 102. TheGUI 500, in certain embodiments, may be embedded within a different GUIof a third-party service provider 108, allowing the user to manageaccess controls for the third-party service provider 108 directly fromwithin the third-party service provider 108's own GUI.

In the depicted embodiment, a permissions module 112 displays to a usera listing 504 a-n of a plurality of third-party service providers A-N108, which have used similar electronic credentials for the user toaccess the user's data from a different third-party service provider 1108. Each listing 504 a-n, includes one or more user interface elements(e.g., checkboxes in the depicted embodiment, a slider, buttons, adropdown menu, radio buttons, and/or other user interface elements)allowing the user to define access permissions individually for each ofthe third-party service providers A-N 108, with regard to differentportions of the downloaded data (e.g., an account balance; an interestrate; transaction data such as a party to a transaction, a date of atransaction, an amount of a transaction, a category for a transaction, ageographic location of a transaction, or the like; and/or other portionsof data). In other embodiments, a GUI 500 may include a single button orother user interface element to grant or revoke access, one button orother user interface element to grant access and a second button orother user interface element to revoke access, or the like.

In the depicted embodiment, a permissions module 112 displays to theuser indications 505 a-n of whether the third-party service providersA-N 108 have valid electronic credentials for the other third-partyservice provider 1 108 (e.g., displaying a check mark for validcredentials and an “X” for invalid credentials, or the like). Apermissions module 112, in the depicted embodiment, also displays, inthe GUI 500, an interface 509 for the user to update a password that oneof the third-party service providers A-N 108 use for accessing theuser's data from the different service provider 1 108. Although a singlepassword update interface 509 is depicted, in other embodiments, apermissions module 112 may provide separate interfaces 509 for differentthird-party service providers A-N 108, or the like.

A permissions module 112, in the depicted embodiment, also displays aninterface 508, within the GUI 500, allowing the user to select whichportions of data downloaded/aggregated from the third-party serviceprovider 1 108 are stored and/or maintained in storage on the backendserver 110 and/or on another hardware computing device 102, 110 (e.g.,for access later by the user, for access by one or more of thethird-party service providers A-N 108, or the like). If the user doesnot select any of the portions of the data to be stored on the backendserver 110 and/or another hardware computing device 102, 110, in certainembodiments, a permissions module 112 may provide the data directly toone or more of the third-party service providers A-N 108, withoutleaving a copy of the data in non-volatile storage of another hardwarecomputing device 102, 110. While access control settings for data of asingle third-party service provider 1 108 are depicted, in otherembodiments, a permissions module 112 may provide a GUI 500 with accesscontrol settings for multiple third-party service providers 108 forwhich other third-party service providers A-N 108 have access or haverequested access to the user's data.

FIG. 5B depicts one embodiment of a graphical user interface 510. Incertain embodiments, the GUI 510 may be substantially similar to the GUI500 of FIG. 5A. In certain embodiments, the GUI 500 includes a prompt512 (e.g., a push notification, a pop up, a text message, an email, anapplication notification, and/or another message) requesting the user toallow or deny access to a user's data from a first third-party serviceprovider A 108 for a second third-party service provider 1 108.

In some embodiments, a permissions module 112 may display the prompt 512in response to the second third-party service provider 1 108 requestingaccess to the user's data (e.g., in a request to the permissions module112, an aggregation module 104, or the like). In a further embodiment, apermissions module 112 may display the prompt 512 in response to inputfrom the user (e.g., assigning or granting the second third-partyservice provider 1 108 requesting access to the user's data, or thelike).

In some embodiments, the permissions module 112 may display a uniquecode in the GUI 510 (e.g., in response to the user granting the prompt512 and allowing access), and the user may provide the unique code tothe second third-party service provider 1 108, and the secondthird-party service provider 1 108 may provide the unique code to thepermissions module 112, an aggregation module 104, an associatedhardware computing device 102, 110, or the like, in exchange for theuser's data from the first third-party service provider A 108. Inanother embodiment, the second third-party service provider 1 108 mayprovide the user with a unique code which the user may provide to thepermissions module 112 through the GUI 510 in order to identify thespecific second third-party service provider 1 108 to the permissionsmodule 112. In other embodiments, the second third-party serviceprovider 1 108 may provide a unique code and/or other identifier of thesecond third-party service provider 1 108, of the first third-partyservice provider A 108, of the requested portion of the user's data,and/or other metadata transparently to the user (e.g., as part of an APIcall or another background message, encoded in a uniform resourcelocator (URL), or the like) such that the user does not need to providea unique code and identification and/or authentication is performedautomatically.

FIG. 6 depicts one embodiment of a method 600 for aggregation platformpermissions. The method 600 begins and an authentication module 202receives 602 a user's electronic credentials for a third-party serviceprovider 108 from the user on a hardware device 102 of the user. Adirect access module 204 accesses 604 a server 108 of the third-partyservice provider 108, from the hardware device 102 of the user, usingthe user's electronic credentials. A direct access module 204 downloads606 data associated with the user from the server 108 of the third-partyservice provider 108 to the hardware device 102 of the user.

FIG. 7 depicts one embodiment of a method 700 for aggregation platformpermissions. The method 700 begins and an authentication module 202determines 702 a user's electronic credentials for a plurality ofthird-party service providers 108. A direct access module 204 accesses704 servers of the plurality of third-party service providers 108 usingthe determined 702 electronic credentials. A direct access module 204downloads 706 data associated with the user from the accessed 704servers of the plurality of third-party service providers 108.

A direct access module 204 aggregates 708 the downloaded 706 data fromthe plurality of different third-party service providers 108. Aninterface module 206 provides 710 the aggregated 708 data to the user(e.g., displaying the data on a hardware device 102 of the user, sendingan alert or other message to a hardware device 102 of the user, sendingthe data to a remote backend server 110 unaffiliated with thethird-party service providers 108 which the user may access using a webinterface and/or API, or the like) and the method 700 ends.

FIG. 8 depicts another embodiment of a method 800 for aggregationplatform permissions. The method 800 begins and a network authenticationmodule 304 receives 802 a user's electronic credentials for one or morethird-party service providers 108. A password manager module 306generates 804 new and/or different electronic credentials for the one ormore third-party service providers 108 and updates the user's account(s)with the one or more third-party service providers 108 with thegenerated 804 electronic credentials.

An access repair module 310 determines 806 whether or not there is achange in access for the one or more third-party service providers 108(e.g., whether access is broken or unavailable, whether access ispartial or incomplete, whether access bandwidth is slower thanpreviously determined, and/or whether another change in access hasoccurred). If the access repair module 310 determines 806 that accessfor a third-party service provider 108 has changed, the access repairmodule 310 provides 808 a graphical user interface 500, 510 to the user.The access repair module 310 receives 810, through the provided 808graphical user interface 500, 510, an identification of one or morelocations and/or actions for authenticating the user and/or downloadingdata from the third-party service provider 108. The test module 318tests 812 access to the third-party service provider 108 using thereceived 810 identification of one or more locations and/or actions. Inresponse to successful testing 812 by the test module 318, the testmodule 318 and/or the pattern module 308 provide 814 instructions foraccessing and/or downloading data from the third-party service provider108 based on the received 810 identification of one or more locationsand/or actions to one or more direct access modules 204 associated withone or more different users.

A route module 314 determines 816 whether a hardware device 102associated with the user is available. In response to the route module314 determining 816 that a hardware device 102 associated with the useris available, a direct access module 204 downloads 818 data associatedwith the user from one or more third-party service providers 108 fromthe available hardware device 102 associated with the user.

In response to the route module 314 determining 816 that a hardwaredevice 102 associated with the user is not available, a direct accessmodule 204 of a different device (e.g., a hardware device 102 of adifferent user, a backend server 110, or the like) downloads 820 dataassociated with the user from one or more third-party service providers108 from the different device. A route module 314 (e.g., on a differentdevice 102, 110) determines 822 whether an alert or other message isavailable for the user based on the downloaded 820 data and pushes 824and/or otherwise sends the alert or other message to a device 102associated with the user (e.g., an unavailable device 102) in responseto determining 822 that the alert or other message is available. Forexample, in one embodiment, a hardware device 102 of a user may beunavailable for downloading data (e.g., powered down, offline, asleep,using mobile data instead of Wi-Fi, or the like), but may receive apushed 824 alert or other message anyway (e.g., over a differentchannel, such as a text message, a voicemail, an email, a pushnotification, or the like) and/or may receive a pushed 824 alert orother message in response to becoming available at a later time.

An interface module 206 provides 826 the downloaded 818, 820 data and/orthe pushed 824 alert to the user (e.g., displaying the data on ahardware device 102 of the user, displaying a pushed/sent 824 alert orother message on a hardware device 102 of the user, sending the data toa remote backend server 110 unaffiliated with the third-party serviceprovider 108 which the user may access using a web interface and/or API,or the like). The method 800, in certain embodiments, continues,periodically determining 806 whether there is a change in access for athird-party service provider 108, determining 816 whether a hardwaredevice 102 of the user is available, downloading 818, 820 dataassociated with the user, and/or providing 826 downloaded data and/or apushed 824 alert or other message to the user, or the like.

FIG. 9 depicts another embodiment of a method 800 for aggregationplatform permissions. The method 900 begins and a hardware computingdevice 102, 110 (e.g., using an aggregation module 104 and/or apermissions module 112, or the like) aggregates 902 a user's data (e.g.,from a first plurality of third-party service providers 108 for a secondplurality of third-party service providers 108, on behalf of the user orthe like). A permissions module 112 monitors 904 the electroniccredentials used to aggregate 902 the user's data. A permissions module112 detects 906 similar electronic credentials being used to aggregate902 the user's data (e.g., similar electronic credentials for the sameaccount or the like, being used for multiple third-party serviceproviders 108 on behalf of the user) and the method 900 ends.

FIG. 10 depicts another embodiment of a method 800 for aggregationplatform permissions. The method 1000 begins and a hardware computingdevice 102, 110 (e.g., using an aggregation module 104 and/or apermissions module 112, or the like) aggregates 1002 a user's data(e.g., from a first plurality of third-party service providers 108 for asecond plurality of third-party service providers 108, on behalf of theuser or the like). A permissions module 112 monitors 1004 the electroniccredentials used to aggregate 902 the user's data. A permissions module112 detects 1006 similar electronic credentials being used to aggregate902 the user's data (e.g., similar electronic credentials for the sameaccount or the like, being used for multiple third-party serviceproviders 108 on behalf of the user).

A permissions module 112 displays 1008 to the user in a graphical userinterface a listing of multiple third-party service providers 108 usingthe detected 1006 similar electronic credentials to aggregate 1002 theuser's data. A permissions module 112 revokes 1010 authorization ofaggregation 1002 of data from one or more of the multiple third-partyservice providers 108 using the detected 1006 similar electroniccredentials, in response to a first user input from the user in thedisplayed 1008 graphical user interface. A permissions module 112updates 1012 the detected 1006 similar electronic credentials for one ormore of the multiple third-party service providers 108 in response toreceiving an updated password from the user in the displayed 1008graphical user interface and the method 1000 ends.

A means for aggregating a user's data from a first plurality ofthird-party service providers 108 over a data network 106 for the userto access through a second plurality of third-party service providers108, in various embodiments, may include one or more of a hardwaredevice 102, 110, a backend server 110, a mobile computing device 102, anaggregation module 104, a permissions module 112, a processor (e.g., acentral processing unit (CPU), a processor core, a field programmablegate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic, an application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), a controller, a microcontroller, and/oranother semiconductor integrated circuit device), a network interface, amobile hardware device 102, an HDMI or other electronic display dongle,a hardware appliance or other hardware device, other logic hardware,and/or other executable code stored on a computer readable storagemedium. Other embodiments may include similar or equivalent means foraggregating a user's data from a first plurality of third-party serviceproviders 108 over a data network 106 for the user to access through asecond plurality of third-party service providers 108.

A means for monitoring electronic credentials of a user used by thehardware computing device 102, 110 to download the user's data, invarious embodiments, may include one or more of a hardware device 102,110, a backend server 110, a mobile computing device 102, an aggregationmodule 104, a permissions module 112, a processor (e.g., a centralprocessing unit (CPU), a processor core, a field programmable gate array(FPGA) or other programmable logic, an application specific integratedcircuit (ASIC), a controller, a microcontroller, and/or anothersemiconductor integrated circuit device), a network interface, ahardware appliance or other hardware device, other logic hardware,and/or other executable code stored on a computer readable storagemedium. Other embodiments may include similar or equivalent means formonitoring electronic credentials of a user used by the hardwarecomputing device 102, 110 to download the user's data.

A means for detecting similar electronic credentials for the samethird-party service provider 108 being used on behalf of multiplethird-party service providers 108 from a second plurality, in variousembodiments, may include one or more of a hardware device 102, 110, abackend server 110, a mobile computing device 102, an aggregation module104, a permissions module 112, a processor (e.g., a central processingunit (CPU), a processor core, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) orother programmable logic, an application specific integrated circuit(ASIC), a controller, a microcontroller, and/or another semiconductorintegrated circuit device), a network interface, a hardware appliance orother hardware device, other logic hardware, and/or other executablecode stored on a computer readable storage medium. Other embodiments mayinclude similar or equivalent means for detecting similar electroniccredentials for the same third-party service provider 108 being used onbehalf of multiple third-party service providers 108 from a secondplurality of third-party service providers 108.

A means for displaying in a graphical user interface a listing ofmultiple third-party service providers 108, in various embodiments, mayinclude one or more of a hardware device 102, 110, a backend server 110,a mobile computing device 102, an aggregation module 104, a permissionsmodule 112, a processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), aprocessor core, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or otherprogrammable logic, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), acontroller, a microcontroller, and/or another semiconductor integratedcircuit device), a network interface, an HDMI or other electronicdisplay dongle, an electronic display screen, a hardware appliance orother hardware device, other logic hardware, and/or other executablecode stored on a computer readable storage medium. Other embodiments mayinclude similar or equivalent means for displaying in a graphical userinterface a listing of multiple third-party service providers 108.

A means for revoking authorization of aggregation of data from one ormore of multiple third-party service providers 108 in response to afirst user input from a user in the graphical user interface, in variousembodiments, may include one or more of a hardware device 102, 110, abackend server 110, a mobile computing device 102, an aggregation module104, a permissions module 112, a processor (e.g., a central processingunit (CPU), a processor core, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) orother programmable logic, an application specific integrated circuit(ASIC), a controller, a microcontroller, and/or another semiconductorintegrated circuit device), a network interface, a hardware appliance orother hardware device, other logic hardware, and/or other executablecode stored on a computer readable storage medium. Other embodiments mayinclude similar or equivalent means for revoking authorization ofaggregation of data from one or more of multiple third-party serviceproviders 108 in response to a first user input from a user in thegraphical user interface.

A means for updating similar electronic credentials for one or more ofmultiple third-party service providers 108 in response to receiving anupdated password from a user in a graphical user interface, in variousembodiments, may include one or more of a hardware device 102, 110, abackend server 110, a mobile computing device 102, an aggregation module104, a permissions module 112, a processor (e.g., a central processingunit (CPU), a processor core, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) orother programmable logic, an application specific integrated circuit(ASIC), a controller, a microcontroller, and/or another semiconductorintegrated circuit device), a network interface, a hardware appliance orother hardware device, other logic hardware, and/or other executablecode stored on a computer readable storage medium. Other embodiments mayinclude similar or equivalent means for updating similar electroniccredentials for one or more of multiple third-party service providers108 in response to receiving an updated password from a user in agraphical user interface.

A means for monitoring which of a second plurality of third-partyservice providers 108 have access to which portions of data from whichof a first plurality of third-party service providers 108, in variousembodiments, may include one or more of a hardware device 102, 110, abackend server 110, a mobile computing device 102, an aggregation module104, a permissions module 112, a processor (e.g., a central processingunit (CPU), a processor core, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) orother programmable logic, an application specific integrated circuit(ASIC), a controller, a microcontroller, and/or another semiconductorintegrated circuit device), a network interface, a hardware appliance orother hardware device, other logic hardware, and/or other executablecode stored on a computer readable storage medium. Other embodiments mayinclude similar or equivalent means for monitoring which of a secondplurality of third-party service providers 108 have access to whichportions of data from which of a first plurality of third-party serviceproviders 108.

A means for displaying in a graphical user interface one or more userinterface elements allowing a user to grant and revoke access toportions of data from a first plurality of third-party service providers108 individually to a second plurality of third-party service providers108, in various embodiments, may include one or more of a hardwaredevice 102, 110, a backend server 110, a mobile computing device 102, anaggregation module 104, a permissions module 112, a processor (e.g., acentral processing unit (CPU), a processor core, a field programmablegate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic, an application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), a controller, a microcontroller, and/oranother semiconductor integrated circuit device), a network interface,an HDMI or other electronic display dongle, an electronic displayscreen, a hardware appliance or other hardware device, other logichardware, and/or other executable code stored on a computer readablestorage medium. Other embodiments may include similar or equivalentmeans for displaying in a graphical user interface one or more userinterface elements allowing a user to grant and revoke access toportions of data from a first plurality of third-party service providers108 individually to a second plurality of third-party service providers108.

A means for displaying, in response to a user granting access to aportion of data to an authorized third-party service provider 108 from asecond plurality of third-party service providers 108, a unique code tothe user, in various embodiments, may include one or more of a hardwaredevice 102, 110, a backend server 110, a mobile computing device 102, anaggregation module 104, a permissions module 112, a processor (e.g., acentral processing unit (CPU), a processor core, a field programmablegate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic, an application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), a controller, a microcontroller, and/oranother semiconductor integrated circuit device), a network interface,an HDMI or other electronic display dongle, an electronic displayscreen, a hardware appliance or other hardware device, other logichardware, and/or other executable code stored on a computer readablestorage medium. Other embodiments may include similar or equivalentmeans for displaying, in response to a user granting access to a portionof data to an authorized third-party service provider 108 from a secondplurality of third-party service providers 108, a unique code to theuser.

A means for providing a portion of the data to an authorized third-partyservice provider 108 in response to the user providing a unique code tothe authorized third-party service provider 108 and the authorizedthird-party service provider 108 providing the unique code to a hardwarecomputing device 102, 110, in various embodiments, may include one ormore of a hardware device 102, 110, a backend server 110, a mobilecomputing device 102, an aggregation module 104, a permissions module112, a processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a processorcore, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmablelogic, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a controller,a microcontroller, and/or another semiconductor integrated circuitdevice), a network interface, a hardware appliance or other hardwaredevice, other logic hardware, and/or other executable code stored on acomputer readable storage medium. Other embodiments may include similaror equivalent means for providing a portion of the data to an authorizedthird-party service provider 108 in response to the user providing aunique code to the authorized third-party service provider 108 and theauthorized third-party service provider 108 providing the unique code toa hardware computing device 102, 110.

A means for sharing, with multiple third-party service providers 108,the same data downloaded by a hardware computing device 102, 110 fromthe same third-party service provider 108 with similar electroniccredentials using a same session identity, in various embodiments, mayinclude one or more of a hardware device 102, 110, a backend server 110,a mobile computing device 102, an aggregation module 104, a permissionsmodule 112, a processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), aprocessor core, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or otherprogrammable logic, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), acontroller, a microcontroller, and/or another semiconductor integratedcircuit device), a network interface, a hardware appliance or otherhardware device, other logic hardware, and/or other executable codestored on a computer readable storage medium. Other embodiments mayinclude similar or equivalent means for sharing, with multiplethird-party service providers 108, the same data downloaded by ahardware computing device 102, 110 from the same third-party serviceprovider 108 with similar electronic credentials using a same sessionidentity.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from its spirit or essential characteristics. The describedembodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrativeand not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicatedby the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. Allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are to be embraced within their scope.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus, comprising: a hardware computing device configured to aggregate a user's data from a first plurality of third-party service providers over a data network for the user to access through a second plurality of third-party service providers; a permissions module configured to monitor which of the second plurality of third-party service providers have access to which portions of data from which of the first plurality of third-party service providers; and a graphical user interface configured to: display one or more user interface elements allowing the user to grant and revoke access to the portions of the data from the first plurality of third-party service providers individually to the second plurality of third-party service providers; and display indications of whether the second plurality of third-party service providers have valid electronic credentials for the first plurality of third-party service providers.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to prompt the user with the one or more user interface elements in response to an individual third-party service provider from the second plurality of third-party service providers requesting access to at least one of the portions of the data from the first plurality of third-party service providers.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portions of data comprise an account balance, an interest rate, and transaction data for individual accounts of the user with the first plurality of third-party service providers.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the transaction data comprises one or more of a party to a transaction, a date of a transaction, an amount of a transaction, a category for a transaction, and a geographic location of a transaction.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to display one or more user interface elements allowing the user to define which or the portions of the data from which of the first plurality of third-party service providers are maintained in storage by the hardware computing device for remote access by the user.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to display one or more user interface elements allowing the user to define which or the portions of the data from which of the first plurality of third-party service providers are maintained in storage by the hardware computing device for remote access by one or more of the second plurality of third-party service providers.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to, in response to the user granting access to a portion of the data to an authorized third-party service provider from the second plurality of third-party service providers, display a unique code to the user, the user providing the unique code to the authorized third-party service provider, and the authorized third-party service provider providing the unique code to the hardware computing device in exchange for the portion of the data.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is displayed to the user embedded within a third-party graphical user interface of one of the second plurality of third-party service providers.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hardware computer device comprises a trusted intermediary for the user between the first plurality of third-party service providers and the second plurality of third-party service providers such that the user may dynamically manage and adjust, using the graphical user interface, which of the second plurality of third-party service providers have access to which of the portions of the data from the first plurality of third-party service providers.
 10. A method, comprising: aggregating a user's data to a hardware computing device from a first plurality of third-party service providers over a data network for the user to access through a second plurality of third-party service providers; monitoring which of the second plurality of third-party service providers have access to which portions of data from which of the first plurality of third-party service providers; and displaying in a graphical user interface: one or more user interface elements allowing the user to grant and revoke access to the portions of the data from the first plurality of third-party service providers individually to the second plurality of third-party service providers; and indications of whether the second plurality of third-party service providers have valid electronic credentials for the first plurality of third-party service providers.
 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising prompting the user with the one or more user interface elements in response to an individual third-party service provider from the second plurality of third-party service providers requesting access to at least one of the portions of the data from the first plurality of third-party service providers.
 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the portions of data comprise an account balance, an interest rate, and transaction data for individual accounts of the user with the first plurality of third-party service providers.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the transaction data comprises one or more of a party to a transaction, a date of a transaction, an amount of a transaction, a category for a transaction, and a geographic location of a transaction.
 14. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying one or more user interface elements allowing the user to define which or the portions of the data from which of the first plurality of third-party service providers are maintained in storage by the hardware computing device for remote access by the user.
 15. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying one or more user interface elements allowing the user to define which or the portions of the data from which of the first plurality of third-party service providers are maintained in storage by the hardware computing device for remote access by one or more of the second plurality of third-party service providers.
 16. The method of claim 10, further comprising: displaying, in response to the user granting access to a portion of the data to an authorized third-party service provider from the second plurality of third-party service providers, a unique code to the user; and providing the portion of the data to the authorized third-party service provider in response to the user providing the unique code to the authorized third-party service provider and the authorized third-party service provider providing the unique code to the hardware computing device.
 17. The method of claim 10, further comprising embedding the graphical user interface within a third-party graphical user interface of one of the second plurality of third-party service providers displayed to the user.
 18. The method of claim 10, wherein the hardware computer device comprises a trusted intermediary for the user between the first plurality of third-party service providers and the second plurality of third-party service providers such that the user may dynamically manage and adjust, using the graphical user interface, which of the second plurality of third-party service providers have access to which of the portions of the data from the first plurality of third-party service providers.
 19. An apparatus, comprising: means for aggregating a user's data to a hardware computing device from a first plurality of third-party service providers over a data network for the user to access through a second plurality of third-party service providers; means for monitoring which of the second plurality of third-party service providers have access to which portions of data from which of the first plurality of third-party service providers; and means for displaying in a graphical user interface: one or more user interface elements allowing the user to grant and revoke access to the portions of the data from the first plurality of third-party service providers individually to the second plurality of third-party service providers; and indications of whether the second plurality of third-party service providers have valid electronic credentials for the first plurality of third-party service providers.
 20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising: means for displaying, in response to the user granting access to a portion of the data to an authorized third-party service provider from the second plurality of third-party service providers, a unique code to the user; and means for providing the portion of the data to the authorized third-party service provider in response to the user providing the unique code to the authorized third-party service provider and the authorized third-party service provider providing the unique code to the hardware computing device. 